


Don't challenge Love

by crystalklances



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff and Angst, I will update tags as I go along, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith and Matt+Pidge are also adoptive siblings, Keith is the only one adopted by the Holts, M/M, Mild Drama, Oblivious Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), References to Sex, Smitten Keith (Voltron), a little background hunk/allura, but with a twist, lance is trans, there's background shiro/matt, tho i'm rewriting it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 01:44:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 37,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8729773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalklances/pseuds/crystalklances
Summary: Keith, tired of his family asking about his non-existent love life, lets it slip that there is someone he is interested in. Too bad it's his brother's wedding coming up; now everyone expects him to bring a date and Pidge indirectly challenges him to have an actual date without bringing up the fake boyfriend topic.The logical conclusion: pick a cute boy, pretend to be interested in him and romance him in time for the wedding. Lance has no idea that Keith is only pretending and is on cloud 9. Keith has no idea that Lance has real feelings for him and is oblivious to his own feelings developing. Meanwhile, Pidge has to watch from the sidelines torn between happiness for her best friend and suspicion about her brother's intentions.





	1. Start the challenge

**Author's Note:**

> I had a need for a fake date fic where Keith is the one in need of the fake boyfriend. Logical conclusion: try my hand at writing it. Somehow it also got merged with "one of them thinks they actually are dating" for maximum angst because apparently I love seeing my son Lance suffer even though all I want is for him to be happy
> 
> It's also been a long time since I tried anything multichapter so this is gonna be an adventure ahaha I have no idea how consistent updates are gonna be because sometimes writer's block still hits me, but as of posting the first chapter, I've also finished writing the second

Keith wondered how he got into this mess. Well, he _knew_ how he got into this mess, the question was more like, how was he so stupid to make it happen that way.

It all started with the upcoming wedding of his adopted brother, Matt, and his former foster brother, Shiro. Keith’s family situation was a little complicated; he became an orphan at a young age and was fostered by Shiro’s parents. Then, when Shiro’s parents died, the Holts—old family friends—decided to adopt Keith as well as give Shiro a place to stay until he found a place of his own. So now Keith had two guys he saw as a brother-figure and an adopted sister who was 3 years younger than him. Shiro and Matt had been dating for a couple of years already, and both of them had already been 18 when this happened, so they had both been delighted when Shiro lived with the Holts for part of their time in college.

So, anyway, fast-forward about 10 more years, Keith was now in his second year in college. Katie (usually called Pidge, thanks to her brother) was one year behind him because she skipped two grades due to her genius, and Shiro and Matt were about to get married.

One afternoon, Keith was sitting at the dinner table doing some reading for class while Colleen was taking care of organizing things for the wedding. Both Shiro and Matt kept saying they could take care of it themselves, but Colleen was so excited to at least do part of it, they just couldn’t say no to her. The wedding was about 3 weeks away, so it was close enough to be a constant presence in the back of everyone’s mind, but also far enough for Keith to not think about it too much.

This was about to change.

Colleen, like any mother, was curious about the love life of her children—whether by birth or adoption didn’t matter to her. And she decided that this particular afternoon, where it was just the two of them sitting together currently, was the perfect time to ask Keith: “Are you dating anyone?”

“Huh?” Keith looked up from his articles. He had been so focused that the question didn’t fully register.

“You’ve always kept more to yourself, so I’ve been wondering if you’ve finally found someone you like and started dating,” she continued. “You’re already 20 and in college, after all.”

Keith groaned inwardly. _Not this again_. During all these years, he has never had a real interest in anyone. Sure, Keith knew he was more comfortable around boys, and sometimes he thought a person was cute, but that was it; no attraction. When someone—no matter the gender—flirted with him, he was more or less annoyed (the degree depending on the person and situation). He also couldn’t for the life of him figure out why that kept happening when he never showed any interest in anyone. And sure, he might have been feeling a bit lonely as of late, but that didn’t mean that he’d go along with just anyone. He needed friends, first.

And yet, his family kept pestering him about the topic. It was kind of tiring and he wanted it to end, so without really thinking he replied: “Maybe.”

Colleen’s face lighted up. “Really? Is it a classmate?”

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Now Keith had to roll along and think of the next best face. In his mind, he saw the face of a particularly cute boy with deep blue eyes in some of his classes. Keith had actually known this boy since growing up, but while they were in the same grade and he was Pidge’s best friend, Keith hadn’t built a real friendship with him, himself. Keith had no idea _why_ he was the one that appeared before his inner eye, but he shrugged the thought away and went along with it.

“Uh, yeah, it’s a boy who’s in some of my classes. I haven’t asked him out yet, but I’m—I’m planning to do that. Soon,” he said awkwardly. He didn’t really need to tell right now that it was Lance—not when he didn’t have a concrete plan yet what he was even doing.

Going by the happy smile on Colleen’s face, she seemed to believe it. “Oh, that’s so nice to hear! Keith sweetie, why don’t you invite him to accompany you to the wedding?”

“Yes, Keith, why don’t you invite your new _boyfriend_?” Came a teasing voice from the door. Turning around, he saw Pidge who appeared to have just come home, still wearing her favorite green hoodie jacket and laptop bag over her shoulders.

Sensing that there was no way out now, and not being someone to back down from a challenge Keith said confidently: “Yeah, I’m gonna do that. I’m gonna ask him out first thing tomorrow.”

Colleen gave a few more happy words to Keith, then she and Pidge continued to have a conversation. It was something about if Pidge wanted to bring a friend so she wouldn’t be left out with most of the family being older. Pidge pointed out that all of her friends were older and most of them going to be there and besides, the family of her other best friend, Hunk, was in charge of the catering, so she had him anyway. Keith tuned it out after that.

Aside from finishing his assigned readings for class, he was now occupied with figuring out when during the day was the best suited time to ask Lance out on a date.

 

The next morning, Keith and Pidge left the house together. Because their lectures started at similar times and they lived together and had the same route, it had become routine ever since the start of the semester. Usually, they walked because it was not _that_ far, though depending on the weather they would take one of the cars. Keith would prefer riding his motorbike to school, but Pidge refused to be his passenger. He had no idea why, he was driving perfectly safe—so what if he liked speeding up?

Today, the weather was nice and sunny, fairly warm for a day in late autumn. Just the right weather for walking the full distance.

Pidge skipped ahead to the sidewalk while Keith closed the front door behind himself. When he caught up to her, she started to speak. “So,” she said, exaggeratedly drawing out the ‘o’ and adjusting the strap of her bag as they began the walk. “Was that just a lie to get mom to stop asking, or what was that about?”

“What do you mean?” Keith asked.

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Oh, you know what I’m talking about. Are you actually interested in someone for once or did you just humor her?”

“Do you really think that lowly of me?” Keith feigned a wounded tone. _Of course_ , he thought, out of everyone, Pidge would be able to catch on.

“Well,” Pidge said with a shrug. “who knows what’s going on in your head. Anyway, now that mom knows, and _I_ know too, you’d better not be pulling some kind of ‘hey, you gotta pretend to be my boyfriend’ thing because that’d beat the whole point and you’d break our poor mother’s heart when the truth comes out. Which, you and I and everyone knows, it _will_.” She looked up at him, and Keith knew from experience that Pidge _would_ have a way of figuring everything out and if she had to, spreading the news, too.

And yet, instead of making him reconsider his life choices, this just sparked Keith’s competitive nature even more. No one said that he had to actually _feel_ anything, but he _so_ would be the best, most serious boyfriend anyone has ever seen and awe the entire family and the few family friends that would be present. What would happen after the wedding was something he’d leave up for future Keith to think about.

“You make me sound like I’m some kind of evil mastermind, even though that’s more like _your_ job. Have a little more faith in me.”

Pidge sighed, expression unreadable for Keith, before looking ahead to pay attention to the path they were both walking. “Yeah, you’re right. I should trust you to know what you’re doing.”

The rest of the walk was spent in silence. When they arrived at school and they were about to part ways to the different directions of their lectures, Pidge stood on tiptoes to clap Keith on the shoulder, saying, “Good luck asking the boy out, make us proud!” before running off to her engineering workshop.

Keith didn’t know what to make of her words, and when he finally arrived at the classroom and sat down, he was distracted by the cute boy sitting on the opposite end of the room who was connected to the whole issue and didn’t even know it yet. As if sensing Keith’s eyes on him, the boy turned to return the stare, one eyebrow raised but the corner of his lips twitching into a lopsided half-smile.

There was a weird sensation in Keith’s stomach and he looked away, focusing on his notes instead. He really didn’t need to be sick now when he planned to stop Lance after class to ask him out.

 

When class was dismissed, Keith swiftly gathered his things and made his way to the other end to talk to Lance who was still packing his things. “Hey,” Keith said when he stood right next to the other boy.

Lance looked up with an expression that seemed like a mix of surprise and confusion. Weird. “Hi. Did you need something?”

“Not quite. I was wondering if you have time later.” Keith made the briefest of pauses to make sure the other was listening. “We could go have some coffee or something.”

Lance's eyes widened for a brief moment before he focused on closing his bag and standing up. So close by, Keith was reminded that they were about the same height. Finally, Lance spoke again. “You mean like, just hanging out or to study or—?”

“No,” Keith said, voice firm. “Unless studying is your idea of a date.”

“My idea of a—wait, you're asking _me_ on a _date_?” Lance's voice morphed into a higher-pitched sort of squeal by the end of the sentence. Oddly, Keith thought it was cute.

“Yeah, that's what I’m doing. So what do you say?”

Lance seemed to be contemplating, lightly biting the left side of his lower lip. After what felt like a long moment, he smiled and replied: “Okay. Yes. I’d like to have a date without studying.”

Keith let out a slow breath. Since when had he felt tense, and why? Maybe he really was getting sick. “Great. How about we meet at the campus coffee shop at 2?”

“Sounds good to me.” Lance was still smiling brightly. Their next lecture didn't overlap, so they had to part ways. “See you later, then!”

“See you later.”

Keith couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corner of his own lips as he waved and turned to the other direction. Everything was working out so far.


	2. Player 2 is cute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is happy, Pidge is worried for Lance, and the date goes well.

Lance thought he was dreaming at first.

He dreamed about the other boy often enough, and now Keith had approached him after class to ask him out for a date. _An actual date_ , in Keith’s own words. Of course Lance would think this was one of those dreams. Keith, the handsome student among the top of the class. The hard to approach adopted brother of Lance’s best friend. Keith, whom he had been crushing on for ages while growing up, but had always felt too nervous to try to befriend and had resigned himself to silently competing with for top marks in class. Had resigned himself to just giving Keith smiles whenever they were in the same room, hoping against hope to make an impression.

It had never seemed to work. Until that morning showed him otherwise.

A collision with the door frame of his next classroom brought him back to reality and debunked the theory that it was just a dream. He heard snickers from nearby students and gave a sheepish laugh of his own as he stepped through the door, this time without getting stuck on the door’s handle or plain running against it. Jeez, how did this kind of thing even keep happening to him, like how is it even possible to get his clothes stuck on the handle and not even notice?

Lance sighed. At least it didn’t happen while Keith was around. Remembering his previous train of thought, Lance smiled to himself. Once in his seat, he took out his phone. He had to tell Pidge about this.

 **Lance:** pidge pidge pidge you won’t believe what just happened  
**Pidge:** what happened??  
**Pidge:** do I need to worry??  
**Lance:** no it’s not bad dw  
**Lance:** keith stopped me after class and asked me out  
**Lance:** I thought he was gonna ask to hang out or study or sth but he asked me on a DATE!!  
**Pidge:** oh my god WHAT  
**Pidge:** I need a moment to process this new information  
**Lance:** OMG pidge no don’t break on me I already broke when it happened like I thought I was dreaming and then I ran against the doorframe when I entered the next classroom  
**Pidge:** lance, you always get stuck on doors  
**Lance:** rude  >:(  
**Pidge:** u know u love me  
**Lance:** sometimes I wonder why  
**Pidge:** wow rude  
**Lance:** u know u love me  
**Lance:** anyway gotta focus on class ttyl  
**Pidge:** you better give me all the details during lunch

 

~~~~

 

Pidge just stared at her phone, trying to process Lance’s message. Keith had asked out Lance. The boy Keith had talked about yesterday was _Lance_. Her best friend, who had been pining after Keith for the longest time. Lance, who Keith knew was there but had never seemed to acknowledge more than in passing.

Pidge really wanted to trust her brother, but also deeply cared about her best friend. If Lance got hurt, she would side with him. It didn’t matter that it was her brother who was involved. Family was very important to her, but so was the happiness of her best friend, who never failed to be there when someone needed support, to the point of putting back his own needs. He easily trusted people, and this quality put him at risk of being used for favors which got him hurt in the end. Pidge hated it.

With an inaudible sigh, she put her phone back into the pocket of her favorite green hoodie. It’s a good thing she was so great at multitasking because she found it hard to not keep coming back to those ugly feelings of suspicion and worry bubbling up inside.

 

~~~~

 

When lunch break arrived, Lance met with Pidge as usual. They were sitting on benches outside, not wanting to deal with the canteen. And besides, Lance had brought his own homemade meal, while Pidge would be having plenty of snacks at her Robotics Club meetup this afternoon.

In between bites, Lance retold the events of the morning, with Pidge nodding along. “So right after Keith arrived, I had the feeling that someone was looking at me, you know that feeling.” He paused. “And I turn around, and he’s looking at me all intensely, and I get all swooning on the inside wishing I was able to see those eyes up close, you know, the usual. Then when I give him a smile suddenly, he looks down at his notes. So I look to the front again too, and class is about to start anyway, so I try to focus. But anyway…” Lance took a moment to properly chew a bite. “After class, he’s suddenly there going all ‘hey,’ and I greet him and suddenly he asks if I have time later to have coffee or something. I ask if he wants to just hang out or study or something and then he just drops that he’s asking me on a date.”

Lance was taking another bite and Pidge used the time to interject: “And you said yes?”

He swallowed and immediately replied. “Dude, of course! I’ve only dreamed of that since like forever.”

“Well, congratulations,” Pidge said. She had a hard to read, contemplating look on her face. “This is the first time he’s ever asked anyone out or shown any interest in someone. I’m a bit surprised. I’m pretty sure Keith has no idea what he’s doing and is going to be his usual blunt self and be completely forward.”

“Pidge,” Lance said slowly, turning to look at her properly. “Did you forget that those are exactly the qualities I like about him?”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Right, I forgot, you are a damsel waiting to be saved from a dragon by a strong knight when it comes to boys.”

“Hey!”

“Lance, _you_ are the one who sighs at me all the time about how you want Keith to carry you like a princess in his strong arms.”

“That was _one_ time!”

“Do you really want me to dig out all the proof?” Lance pouted and Pidge smirked. “Stop denying it.”

“Fine. So what if I want that to happen?” Lance huffed.

Pidge gave his shoulder a friendly bump. “Never said it was a bad thing. It’s cute how different you are between girls and boys. Also, I’ve never seen anyone with such specific preferences. Wasn’t it way back when we met Rolo and Nyma that you realized about that?”

“Something like that. Also, _you’re_ basically married to your machines, so you’re one to talk.”

Pidge snorted. “That hardly counts as a specific preference. But speaking of married … mom kept asking me if you’re gonna be there to hang out with me when Matt and Shiro’s wedding is celebrated, but I guess Keith is gonna ask you to go with him now.”

“Y-you think so?” Lance squeaked.

“He dropped something like that. And it’s _Keith_ we’re talking about. He’s so extra he doesn’t do things half-assed.”

“Well, anyway, we only have our first date today, and he has to take me on several more in the next three weeks. Then we can talk.” Lance tried to sound as if he wouldn’t have said ‘yes’ right away if Keith asked him to be his date for the wedding out of nowhere. Well, he would have, but also really wanted to be romanced nicely.

“I’ll drop hints at him.” Both of them burst into giggles because it was a common fact to everyone who knew Keith that he could be ridiculously oblivious at times. Pidge checked the time and said: “Oh damn, I’d better leave, I promised Coran that Hunk and I would help him prepare some stuff for our current robot.”

“Oh, alright. And I have to leave for my date soon, too.” Lance watched as Pidge scrambled her things and got up. “Say hi from me! And don’t forget to steal some snacks for me.”

Pidge rolled their eyes but said: “Sure, if there’s gonna be anything left. Have fun on your date!”

They both waved, and Lance watched her run off to the mechanics building. After sitting for a short while longer, he packed away his lunchbox and stood up, stretching before making his way to the coffee shop. He was suddenly anxious that he would be late, even though there was still time.

When he approached the building, he could see Keith leaning against the wall next to the door, arms crossed in front of his chest and looking around with what Pidge always liked to call his ‘resting angry face.’ Keith spotted him, and his expression changed, subtly, into a small smile.

Lance took a deep breath to calm his fluttering nerves, smiled, and jogged over. He hoped their first date would be as nice as all the ones in his dreams.

 

~~~~

 

Keith found himself at the coffee shop about 10 minutes before the agreed time. He was nervous for some reason, so he had ended up finishing his lunch far too early. Mentally, he tried to reason why his body reacted that way. He still considered the possibility that he was catching something, but he also knew that he reacted similarly nervous to any challenge like sports or tests.

This was no different, except the challenge was to have a great time with Lance now, and then go on as many dates with him as possible and ask Lance to be his boyfriend within the next three weeks. This was an entirely new field for him, so of course he would be perhaps a bit more nervous than usual. But Keith also knew that the novelty served as motivation to perform his best, as well. He always came out on top of any challenge. And this would be no different.

Still, he hoped that Lance wouldn’t be late. Or preferably early. Keith didn’t really like waiting, even when it was his own fault for being so ahead of time.

Thankfully, he only had to wait about five minutes. When he saw Lance jog over with that cute smile of his, he couldn’t help but let his own lips quirk up to form a small smile, as well. He really needed to find out why this was happening recently.

“Hey,” Keith said when Lance came to a stop in front of him. “You ready?”

“Yep, ready to be wooed!” Lance replied, grinning.

Keith held back a snort and moved away from the wall to open the door for Lance. He could see the blush dusting the other’s freckled cheeks as he walked past. Keith followed close behind and scanned the room. It wasn’t crowded like hell, but also not empty. Good conditions for a date, he thought. Not that he knew anything about that.

He stopped Lance from walking up to the counter by grabbing his arm. He said: “You should already go find a table while I order. What drink do you want?”

Lance’s eyebrows knit together in thought. “Then how am I gonna pay?”

“You won’t. I asked you out, so I’m inviting you too,” Keith replied.

Lance’s eyes widened, and for a moment, Lance just looked at him with his mouth forming an ‘o’ shape. Once he finally gathered himself, his grin was back. “So you are serious about wooing me, huh? Alright. I’ll accept.”

“Good.” This really was working out well so far. “So, what do you want?”

Lance replied: “A medium milky coffee. No sugar. Oh, and I would like a cupcake with it.”

“Sure. Find us some nice seats and I’ll be right back.”

The other gave an “okay” before walking away. Keith watched him to know what direction to go to once he had their orders, and finally stepped up to the counter. Thankfully, there were only two people in front of him, so it wasn’t too much of a wait to get his own coffee—black with a bit of sugar—and Lance’s milky coffee plus cupcake. Balancing the tray, Keith made his way over to Lance. The boy had picked a nice corner table with the wall-side having a bench with dark red soft cushions and the other side having two chairs. Because Lance was already seated on the bench, Keith sat down on the chair across from him, placing the tray in the middle of the table.

“You didn’t say what kind of cupcake, so I hope the cream cheese topping is fine,” Keith said.

“That’s perfect, actually.” Lance beamed and took a first sip of his drink.

Keith filed this piece of information away for future reference. He sipped at his own drink while trying to come up with a conversation topic.

Lance beat him to it. “So… how come you’re in my Art History class? You’re not in any art classes, are you?”

Keith set his cup back down and returned Lance’s curious gaze. “Well, I study History and Archaeology, so it fits in with that,” he answered. “And I think it’s an interesting subject.” The other nodded along with a hum, and Keith asked a question of his own. “So you’re in the Arts department, then?”

“Yep!” Lance said, picking up his cupcake and taking a small bite. Somehow, he got frosting all over his nose. It was … endearing. “I love art in general and I’m pretty decent I think, but I actually want to do fashion design.”

“Why the astronomy course, then?” Keith asked. That was another of their shared classes, and Keith wondered how that fit in with art. But then again, for him, it didn’t really fit with History and Archaeology that much either.

Lance shrugged. “I just think it’s cool. I really love space. You?”

“Yeah, same here.”

A pleasant feeling was spreading inside Keith’s chest. He hadn’t thought he would be able to connect to Lance that easily. Even if he didn’t have any feelings for him, maybe he could win a friend through this whole deal. He was really starting to see now why Pidge and Lance were best friends. Once you really gave him the attention, Lance just had this … aura that draws you in, pulling you along to float through the current. In the back of his mind, Keith faintly hoped he wouldn’t end up drowning.

Their conversation continued on about their subjects, shared or not, and various professors. Both of them were able to rant about Sendak, a prof most students loved to hate. Then there was Zarkon, Keith’s gym coach. While Keith was telling a particularly eventful story about an argument he got in with Zarkon, Lance finished eating his cupcake all while still listening intently and humming along when it was needed in reaction to the story. Keith ended up finding it hard to focus on what he was saying because his eyes kept darting to the cream cheese on the tip of Lance’s nose. Without thinking, he reached out with his right hand to wipe the cheese away with his thumb, then bringing it up to his own lips to lick the cream away.

Lance was staring at him with wide eyes, face flushed and gaping like a fish.

“Uh, you had cheese on your nose. I just thought I’d help you with that,” Keith offered as an explanation.

Lance’s only reply was a sort of high-pitched noise and a nod. Keith went back to his story as if the interruption hadn’t happened, and Lance was listening as attentive as ever, but his face was still red.

Eventually, when their drinks had already been empty for some time, they stood to leave. They stepped outside and walked next to each other in silence until Keith stopped, not quite sure what to do next. But then again, he had always been better at following impulses rather than thinking things through.

Lance was looking at him with a smile, waiting for him to say something. Finally, Keith said: “Thank you for accepting my invitation. I had fun.” And he meant it—it was really nice to spend time with someone who wasn’t part of his weird patchwork family, nor a forced socialization.

In reaction to his words, Lance’s smile softened. “I had a lot of fun too.”

“Would you like to go out again on Saturday?” Keith asked. He had to stick to small steps to make it believable even to Pidge, or the challenge would be lost.

This time, Lance answered without asking for further information. “I would love to!”

Keith’s lips turned up into a small smile. “Great. We can talk about the details tomorrow?” Lance nodded in reply. A thought came to Keith. “And we could exchange numbers. You know, just to talk and for better planning.”

“Oh, sure.”

Lance pulled out his phone and swapped it with Keith’s. They both entered their contact details before switching their phones back.

After another moment of looking at each other in silence, Lance broke it again. “I should go now,” he said, sounding reluctant to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” Keith said.

He waited for Lance to leave. What he didn’t expect was for Lance to step closer and touch his lips to Keith’s cheek in a barely-there kiss. Before Keith could react, Lance had stepped away again, face incredibly red and squealing out “see you!” before sprinting off to one of the buildings in the opposite direction.

Keith stared after him, eyes wide and with a weird sensation on his cheek where Lance’s lips had touched and within his chest.

 

Later that night, Keith and the others were sitting at the dinner table while Colleen was still preparing the meal in the kitchen. Matt and Shiro were over because they had been arranging things together with Colleen, and decided to just stay over instead of going back to their own place for the night. Samuel was out late still at work, so he was the only family member missing.

Pidge, as was usual, was simultaneously working on something on her laptop and contributing to the conversation with Matt and Shiro. Keith used the time to use up LP in his favorite mobile game, _Love Live! School idol Festival._ He wasn’t embarrassed to be moderately obsessed with the rhythm game because he loved music and the songs were great, the gameplay was fun, and the girls had cute designs and were even relatable. And besides, their story had many touching moments and was very inspirational. His siblings teased him for it, but it was actually Pidge who had introduced him to idol hell, and Keith was pretty sure that Matt and Shiro were at least casual players, as well.

Keith was in the middle of playing _Beat in Angel_ on Expert when Shiro reached across the table to tap his shoulder because apparently, he hadn’t responded, so focused on the game even though he played with only one earbud in. Keith sent a short glare at his brother before finishing the live. No way was he gonna let 25LP go to waste even with the chance for a full combo being lost.

When he was done—with an embarrassingly high number of misses and bads thanks to the interruption—he quit the app and locked his phone screen. “You ruined my combo.” He sent another glare at Shiro.

Shiro just rolled his eyes, long since used to his former foster brother’s antics. It was a running joke for the family—minus Keith—that Keith was an angsty diva. “If you’d leave the game aside while we’re all sitting together, this wouldn’t have to happen,” he said in his stern big brother voice.

Keith huffed. “So what did you want?”

Shiro sighed. “We heard the news that you finally set your eyes on someone.”

Matt continued the sentence: “And now we want to hear all about it. Did you ask him out? Did he say yes?”

“And more importantly, who is it?” Shiro finished.

 _Of course_ either Pidge or Colleen would have mentioned about yesterday’s conversation. And now there was no way out of that one, either. If need be, he would just have to improvise on some details again. “Yeah, I asked him out today. We had coffee together in the afternoon. His name is Lance.”

“Lance? You mean _our_ Lance? As in, Pidge’s best friend Lance?” Matt asked, exchanging a surprised look with Shiro. Pidge suddenly stopped typing.

“Yeah, the same Lance.”

The older guys both stared at him as if he had grown a new head. Pidge didn’t look at him and her face was hard to read. Keith really didn’t understand why everyone reacted so weirdly.

The next question came from Shiro again. “So you asked him out, and he said yes?”

“Yeah, obviously. I bought coffee and a cupcake for him, and we had fun talking,” Keith replied. He didn’t want to tell about the cheek kiss though because he still had no idea how to explain that weird feeling it had given him.

Shiro and Matt dropped their weird surprised expressions and smiled. “Well, that’s nice,” Matt said. “So you’re planning on inviting him to the celebration of our wedding then?”

“If things go well, yeah.”

Pidge finally spoke up again, though she still wasn’t looking up from her screen. “When are you asking him out next?”

Keith replied: “I actually did already. Our next date is Saturday.”

Pidge turned to look at him now. Something was flashing up in her eyes, but before Keith could figure out what it was, it was gone. She said: “If you need help with date ideas, let me know. I know all about his likes and dislikes, you know.”

“Maybe when I get stuck. As long as you don’t tell him about all my plans.” Keith mostly meant it as a joke, but there was no way to know with Pidge. Of course, that was for if he ever had a plan for a surprise date.

Pidge snorted. “Nah, I wouldn’t tell him. Don’t want to ruin his excited swooning when you have a romantic surprise for him.” _Excited Swooning?_ Pidge must’ve guessed his thoughts from his blank expression because next thing, she rolled her eyes and elaborated as if it was a commonly known fact. “He likes to be romanced.”

Huh. Well, that was another bit of useful information to file away, even though Keith thought he was already on the right path to that by taking all the steps so far. And now that he thought about it … “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

They were interrupted by Colleen walking in to start setting the table. Pidge put away her laptop, and Keith helped to set the table as it had become the usual routine over the years.

During the meal, he had to tell everything again for Colleen. She didn’t react in the same weirdly surprised way as his siblings. When dinner was over and Keith was done helping put the dishes away, he went upstairs to his bedroom. He wanted to play some more in peace (he was really great at rhythm games but _Beat in Angel_ was that one song where he kept messing up his combo at the dumbest moments) and do his homework in solitude before he felt like sleeping.

Around midnight, when he had just settled in bed under his duvet, his phone lit up to announce a new message. Keith subconsciously smiled at the screen.

 **Lance:** thank you again for this afternoon. I can’t wait for saturday! [smiling catface emoji]  
**Keith:** me too. sleep well, lance.  
**Lance:** g’night keith!

Keith fell asleep to the image of a bright smile and shining deep blue eyes appearing over and over in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I decided everyone should be in idol hell like me. Because it's a thing I am familiar with, so I feel comfortable building it in as hobby/interest for the characters. There might be talk/bonding about best girls and fave songs and worst beatmaps at some point
> 
> This fic also serves for me to play around with headcanons I like but are different from what I usually see around. Also Pidge&Lance brotp because I love them and I need more.
> 
> PS: Honoka is best girl, the Smile Attribute is very important, and Lance is the Smile Trio combined in one person and I won't be convinced otherwise


	3. It's a slow start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance's anxiety shows a glimpse, Keith is oblivious and slow, Pidge remains worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To old readers: after talking about it with a beta reader, I decided to have Keith refer to Mr. & Mrs. Holt by first names both in dialogs and narrative. I was told that it's better to stick to one, so I went for first names everywhere.
> 
> The entire chapter was written while listening to nothing but Owl City/Sky Sailing. It's a blessing because always giving the right vibes, and a curse because I keep going "okay but Klance tho" with 97% of the songs

The remainder of the week passed by like a blur. For the most part, it was the same as always aside from class for Lance. He hung out with Pidge whenever possible, and texting her in between. He met some of his other friends on campus and worked on a project with Nyma. Alone in the dorms, he worked on personal knitting and sewing projects as well as trying to figure out what to get for his friends and family for Christmas (because of course you could never start too early with the planning). But there was one unusual, new, and very pleasant thing.

Keith.

They were now talking daily, be it before and after class or via text. There was jokes and banter. It was so much easier than Lance had always feared when he was too nervous to talk to Keith. Things almost felt like his friendship with Pidge. Except that Pidge was his best friend since forever, while Keith was his crush, a new friend with a chance for more. But it felt easy and comfortable in a similar way because Pidge and Keith shared some similar traits like their bluntness. Lance was able to ease right into it. He didn't want to hope for too much too soon, but he did really feel like there could be more. Especially if Keith kept asking him out without anything indicating that just friendship was what he had in mind. (He tried to ignore the voice of anxiety in his mind. That annoying voice telling him that he had no chance and was reading things completely wrong. That little voice could fuck off, he was happy right now, thank you very much.)

It was late morning on Saturday, about an hour before he was meeting with Keith. Lance was currently standing in front of his closet, dressed only in his tank-style binder and pastel blue jeans, trying to figure out what to wear along with them. He didn't want to overdress or seem like too much; after all, it was just their second date, and not necessarily a definitely romantic one. The plan was just to walk around the mall, maybe around downtown, looking at stores and having lunch together. That’s not an occasion to dress up all nice and pretty. But too casual felt wrong, too.

In the end, Lance settled on a loose-fitting white sweater with subtle black and dark blue stripes. It was hand-knit in soft chunky wool and perfect for weather that wasn't warm but not completely freezing yet. The sweater had a turtleneck, so he didn't need to pick out a scarf. To make it seem less like being dressed up, he would wear his favorite sky blue hoodie as a jacket.

He was sure that he picked a good choice and looked great, but it could never hurt to ask for confirmation. Snapping a quick selfie in front of the mirror of his wardrobe, he sent it along with a message to Allura.

 **Lance:** allura quick how do i look  
**Allura:** Not as great as I do, but you’re not so bad.  
**Lance:** so this is a good choice right?  
**Allura:** Yes. May I ask why?  
**Allura:** Don’t try to worm yourself out young man, I will find out one way or another.  
**Lance:** do you see that, i’m rolling my eyes at you  
**Lance:** i’m going out with keith  
**Allura:** Ohhh ;) have fun ;)  
**Lance:** allura pls  
**Lance:** gotta finish and leave. thanks for the help!  
**Allura:** Anytime. Tell me all about it later ;) or I’ll just ask Pidge.  
**Lance:** you always ask pidge anyway, so  
**Allura:** Don’t sass me, young man.

He laughed quietly, putting his phone aside to move to the bathroom to fix his hair and apply light make-up to make sure his face was flawless. Once he was all done, he grabbed his phone, wallet and keys and left his dorm room.

The weather was pleasant, he looked nice, and he would have a great time with Keith.

 

~~~~

 

Keith called out a quick goodbye over his shoulder before leaving the house. The weather was great for walking, but he felt like taking the bike. That, and he may or may not have been a bit late because he got caught up in a heated discussion about interpretations of historical events with part of the family. If it hadn’t been for Pidge rudely hitting his shoulder and yelling at him to get ready, he would still be arguing his points. He barely even had time to find fresh clothes from the mess in his room, let alone pick something that wasn’t his usual lazy choice of black pants, black t-shirt and red leather jacket.

 _Great job, Keith_ , he mentally scolded himself on the ride, _late to the second date and wearing your choice of clothes for days when you don’t want to bother with anything. You have to step up your game to still make this proceed smoothly. Time is a limited resource._

By the time he finally had a parking spot and made it to the entrance of the mall, Lance was already standing there, leaning against the glass wall. He looked really pretty in that sweater and those jeans, and suddenly Keith felt stupid for not at least putting on one of his favorite red plaid shirts to look less lazy. Then he thought, why did it matter? And why did he hate seeing that worried frown on Lance’s face as he was checking the time or for notifications on his phone?

He quickly closed the distance. “Sorry I’m late,” he apologized. “I, uh, got held up.”

Lance looked up at hearing his voice, and the relief was visible on his face. “That’s okay. Just let me know next time, okay? I was worried that—” he stopped mid-sentence and gave a smile before speaking again. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. Let’s go, okay?”

Keith was curious what Lance was going to say, but he didn’t press. “Yeah, let’s go,” he said. “Sorry again. Are you hungry already?”

“Not yet,” Lance replied. “I’d like to walk around first, if that’s okay.”

“Sure, whatever you want to do is fine for me.”

Keith still felt bad, but Lance had quickly bounced back to his usual cheer. Soon, Keith forgot about it in favor of focusing on how his fingertips tingled where Lance held his hand as he was dragged along.

Mostly they just looked through the shop windows and laughed at the things on display, but Lance insisted on going into a cosmetics shop because “I need to buy this face cream, Keith,” and Keith wasn’t able to say no. They ended up staying a while. Lance didn’t just buy a face cream, but a _whole bag_ full of products. Keith had no idea what the hell they were, or why Lance would even need all of that stuff, and he was annoyed at having been stuck in that perfume hell for ages. But when he glanced to the side and saw how happy and excited Lance looked at his purchases, all annoyance was blown away. He guessed it was only fair that he’d put up with this for having made Lance wait for ages.

They decided to make their way to the food court next, as they were both hungry by now. Before they could stand in line at any of the places though, there was an argument over who would pay this time; in the end, Keith was victorious in a match of rock-paper-scissors, and a pouting Lance went to find seats while Keith got the food. When it was his turn, Keith realized that he completely forgot to ask what Lance wanted to eat, so he improvised by just ordering a bunch of burgers and fries as well as soda for the both of them to share.

When he joined Lance at their table, Lance raised a quizzical eyebrow at the bunch of burgers and fries on the tray. Lance then laughed at his explanation, and Keith found he didn’t mind and joined in. After their laughter died down to lingering grins, Keith asked: “Where do you want to go next?”

Lance unwrapped a burger and thought for a moment. “I want to see if they have any Pokémon plushies around. I want to continue building my Eeveelution collection,” he replied.

“You like Pokémon?”

“Duh, of course,” Lance said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. It probably was. Honestly, who in their right mind _doesn’t_ like Pokémon?

“I do, too.”

“Yeah, I know.” This time, it was Keith’s turn to raise a quizzical eyebrow. Lance grinned and pointed at Keith’s shirt. “You’re wearing a Team Instinct shirt. That kind of gives it away.”

“Oh.” Keith looked down to his own chest. He hadn’t realized that he was not, in fact, wearing a regular black shirt with the hurry he had been in earlier. “I guess that makes sense.”

“So you’re on Team Instinct?” Lance asked. “I would’ve thought you went for Valor because you’re fiery and all about the color red and all.”

Keith snorted. “Fire may be my favorite type and red the color I wear the most, but I felt more connected to Instinct. I’m a pretty instinct-driven person,” he explained. “So which did you go for?”

There was a pause while Lance had a bite. “Instinct, too. Pidge went for Mystic because she felt most like it, and it would’ve been the obvious choice because I love ice types and blue things … but I actually always kind of wanted to be a breeder if I lived in the Pokémon world, so.” He shrugged with a sheepish smile. “Instinct it is.”

Keith listened and couldn’t help the smile. The way Lance explained his choice was cute.

“So what’s your favorite region?” Lance asked.

Keith was about to answer truthfully right away, but he had a sudden idea for a prank. “Everyone knows that Kanto is the only valid region,” he deadpanned. At Lance’s wide-eyed, offended face, he burst into laughter. “Oh man, you fell for it. My favorite region is actually tied between Johto, Sinnoh, and Unova, if I absolutely have to pick.”

Lance pouted. “That was not cool, I almost believed you with that serious face of yours.” Keith laughed again, and Lance’s smile came back. “Why those three?”

“I don’t know, there’s a lot when it comes to myths and history for those three. For Johto and Unova, there’s also the really great soundtracks.” Keith shrugged. “What about you?”

“Depends. I can’t really pick an overall favorite, though I’m kinda biased for Hoenn.”

“Hoenn has to be my least favorite region.”

“What? Why?” Lance had that look again.

Keith shrugged. “7.8 too much water,” he said.

Lance just stared and slowly shook his head. “I can’t believe you just pulled a meme on me.”

“I saw an opportunity and took it.” Keith grinned at Lance’s snort. “It’s not _wrong_ , though. I prefer fire types, and all that water was annoying.”

“That’s what you get for picking a lame type. For me it’s paradise,” Lance said, popping a fry in his mouth. “I love water types the most, and I love the ocean.” After a moment of pause, he said: “We should have a battle sometime.”

“Sure, sounds cool. Which games?”

“XY so you can admire my trainer. She’s a real cutie.”

“You play as Serena?”

“In X, yeah,” Lance shrugged. “Is that such a weird thing? I just think Serena is cuter and she has way more options for customization, too. There’s barely anything for Calem, it’s so boring. Like, the only _really_ nice stuff is in Laverre, maybe in Lumiose too, but that’s not really my style.”

“I like the Lumiose boutique,” Keith said with a frown. It was similar to his actual wardrobe, too.

“Well, yeah, the style looks hot on _you_ , but for me, it’s something I like to _look_ _at_ , not wear myself.”

Keith was about to say something when he realized what Lance just said. All previous words forgotten, instead, he blurted out: “Did you just call me hot?”

“Uh, did I…?” Lance’s brows knit together in confusion. “Oh. I guess I did.” He blushed and looked away.

Oh. Keith didn’t know what to make of this. He was suddenly feeling really warm. And wanted to give a compliment too. “Well in that case … you’re cute.”

Lance’s reaction of flustered, high-pitched sputtering and an even deeper blush did weird things to Keith.

They finished eating in silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Keith liked being able to just enjoy someone’s presence without a need to talk. Not to say that he minded conversations with Lance—he enjoyed them, and he enjoyed just listening to Lance ramble on about some silly thing that happened or any topic that was on his mind. But this was nice too. He looked at Lance, taking in the way his sweater fit loosely, and how the hoodie he was wearing along with it seemed to be a size too big as well. Keith had noticed before that Lance seemed to go for clothes that were more on the loose-fitting side a lot, unlike himself.

Sometimes he caught Lance looking at him, too, and when their eyes met, Lance smiled. Keith idly wondered if Lance had some kind of magic abilities and if that was the reason why his heart started beating faster whenever Lance smiled.

When they were done, they disposed of the trash and the tray and started to leave the food court. They walked around the stores they haven’t been to yet, back to mostly looking at the window displays. When they reached the shop with games and merchandise, they stepped in, Lance immediately making his way to the plushies. “Help me look for Eeveelutions,” he said, already browsing through the pile.

“Which one are you looking for?” Keith asked.

“Well, I want a collection, but my favorites are Vaporeon and Glaceon, so that would be a good starting point, I guess. I already have Eevee,” Lance replied

“Okay.” Keith started going through all the offered plushies, too. All he could see was various Pikachu and some other recent starters.

They finally gave up and left the shop. There was a sad, disappointed pout on Lance’s face. Keith wanted it gone. “Hey,” he said, “I’m sure you’ll get one soon.” A voice in his head whispered _You should buy one for him_. He ignored it, but it lingered in the back of his mind.

Lance sighed. “You’re right, I guess I just have to try again another time. Or make them myself, but I already have so many other projects.”

“You sew?”

“Yeah, of course! I also knit and crochet. Actually, I can do all kinds of crafts. I’m pretty good with my hands, and it’s fun. Plus, fashion design, remember?”

“Oh, right. Makes sense. Do you make your own clothes?”

“Some of them, when the kind of style isn’t available for my size,” Lance answered. “Or when I knit for fun and to relax, like this sweater. Or a bunch of my scarves. Hey, I could make something for you, too!” He grinned.

Keith couldn’t look away and felt like he was staring right at the sun. “If you want to, sure, why not,” he said. Lance seemed to beam even brighter. Was that even possible?

“Awesome, that’s going right up on my list of gifts to make. Maybe already before Christmas. Oh, how about matching sweaters?” Lance was rambling on about possibilities and Keith couldn’t help but nod and hum in agreement. The excitement was contagious. Lance’s smile was dazzling.

They walked past a fabric store, and Lance stopped Keith. “Oh, I just remembered something—can we make a stop in here? I wanted to ask if they have the right material I need to make my own binder.”

“Binder?”

“You know, my chest?” Lance made a vague gesture with his hands.

“ _Oh_. Right, of course.”

Keith knew that Lance was trans—he had been there when Lance came out to the Holts. But sometimes, it slipped his mind. Lance was just Lance to him.

He tagged along and watched as Lance talked with the saleswoman. Apparently, they didn’t have what he needed, as Lance left empty-handed. Lance shrugged it off, saying he’ll just browse around online.

The two of them continued on their tour through the mall. At one point, Keith was the one to drag Lance along into a clothing store because he couldn’t resist the fingerless gloves he saw in the display. Similar to earlier at the cosmetics shop, they ended up spending a while in there: Keith kept finding more and more leather accessories that gave him the urge to buy. Never mind that he already had more than he could ever wear at home. Lance stayed patient the whole time, even giving comments when Keith was torn between different models. Shiro, Matt, and Pidge always grew impatient with Keith, he had no idea why. Maybe he should always take Lance along for shopping. Yeah, that sounded like a great idea. Not that he needed help; it was to find easy ways to make this whole I’m-pretending-to-be-a-great-boyfriend-but-I-have-to-keep-it-secret-that-I’m-pretending thing work. That was all, yeah.

By the time they left the mall, it was the middle of the afternoon. They stood in silence near where Lance had waited earlier, both unsure how to proceed from there. Keith had to come up with something or at least offer options. “You want to go anywhere else? Like, grab some coffee or something? Or…” he trailed off.

Lance was fiddling with his sleeve, looking thoughtful. After a moment, he answered: “I don’t feel like going home yet, so grabbing some coffee and just walking around sounds nice.”

Keith smiled. “Sure, let’s go then.”

They walked to a nearby coffee shop and entered to order their drinks. This time, they settled on each paying for their own. Soon, they were out walking down the streets, chatting while taking sips. Every so often, their arms would brush against each other, and Keith wondered if this is where they were supposed to hold hands if they both had free hands. Maybe he could do that next time, see what happens. Judging by how things were going so far, it could go well, albeit with more flustered blushing in reaction. Keith wondered if this kind of reaction was normal, and if it was normal to look forward to it with a fond feeling.

He felt warm all over his body again and blamed it on the hot coffee.

 

~~~~

 

Pidge was hanging out in the living room with Matt and Shiro when she heard the familiar sound of Keith’s bike in the driveway. Sure enough, a moment later the front door opened with a call of “I’m home,” and the three called back a greeting. When Keith poked his head in from the hallway, he looked like he was in a really good mood. “Where are Samuel and Colleen?” he asked.

“Out shopping groceries,” Matt replied. “Why? Did you need something?”

“Nah, just curious because I didn’t see the car.” Keith shrugged and walked in to flop down in the free armchair half facing the sofa. Pidge watched as he placed a shopping bag on the floor next to his feet. “What are you guys up to?”

Shiro was the one to answer. “Not much. How was your date?”

Pidge had been dying to hear how it went the whole time. Especially because she was still mad at Keith for nearly forgetting. If it hadn’t been for her yelling at him to get a move on, Keith would have been _very_ late. Pidge could only imagine how anxious Lance must have been, worrying that something happened or worse, that Keith had stood him up. She knew she was probably overreacting by far with her worries, but she couldn’t help it. She studied Keith’s face intently.

“It was nice, I guess,” Keith replied. “I mean, we didn’t really do anything special, just walking looking at the shop windows and having lunch. We bonded over Pokémon, though.” He shrugged.

“What’s with the bag, then?” Pidge asked.

“Gloves, belts … you know, the usual.”

“You subjected Lance to your obsession with stupid leather accessories?” Pidge asked again, sharing a look with Matt and Shiro.

“What?” Keith blinked at them. “He didn’t mind. He even helped me decide. And besides, before we had lunch I endured perfume hell for him.”

Pidge continued watching carefully, while Matt and Shiro both whistled teasingly. “According to Pidge, she and Allura are the only ones able to survive being with Lance in a cosmetics shop,” Matt said.

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Of course I am, I’m his _best friend,_ and besides, I get a gain from it. Namely, all the cool beauty treatments at our sleepovers with Allura.” She turned back to Keith. “Ah, that’s right. If you plan to ask him out again soon, next Friday is when the next sleepover happens and as much as he likes you, and no matter how smooth you are, this is a thing that is never, ever canceled. So you better plan around that.”

Keith blinked at her in confusion once more. “Wait … is that what you’re up to every other weekend?”

Pidge stared right back. “Are you telling me you never knew? Jesus Keith, how oblivious _are_ you?” She said, not bothering to keep her voice neutral. “But yeah, the three of us have been doing that for years. Usually at Allura’s place because it’s all fancy and extra spacious, though we’ve wanted to do it here for once, so I can still take care of work at the same time without having to drag everything all over the place.”

“Pidge, isn’t the whole point of those sleepovers to relax?” Matt asked, voice flat.

“Not when I have big stuff on my plate. Besides, I’ll have you know I am perfectly capable of working and relaxing at the same time.” She tapped her fingers on the armrest of the sofa. “Plus, you know Lance will make sure I take enough breaks. Even if it’s just for him to braid my hair and paint my nails while Allura uses her special treatments on my face.”

Shiro and Matt both nodded in acknowledgment. “Yeah, Lance is a good kid.”

“We just look out for each other. Always have,” Pidge said, smiling. Lance had always made sure she didn’t get in trouble with teachers and other authorities, while Pidge took care that Lance didn’t get in trouble because of his easily trusting nature. Pidge helped calm Lance down during an anxiety attack and when his insecurities got the better of him, and in turn, Lance calmed her nerves when something didn’t go as planned or she was stressed out in general.

Keith had stared at them while listening, looking like he was slowly processing all the information. “Wait a minute … so are you trying to tell me he’s going to be here next weekend? And stay the night?”

“Uh, yeah? It’s not like it’s the first time, we’ve had plenty of sleepovers, you know. Just this time Allura is gonna be there, too,” Pidge pointed out. Seriously, how could Keith be so bright and then terribly dense at the same time?

“Yeah, but…” Keith seemed to be struggling with words, finally huffing a sigh. “Never mind.”

Shiro watched in amusement. He said: “Keith, if you want him to sleep with you so badly, you just need to ask him. No need to be jealous of a beautiful friendship straight out of a chick flick.”

Matt snorted. Pidge rolled her eyes, but let Shiro have his fun.

“I—what?” Keith blinked at him for what seemed to be the thousandth time that afternoon, and Pidge really would like to know what was going on in his head at that moment. “I’m not jealous, I can ask him whenever I want to.” He glared at the two older men bursting into laughter and stood, picking his shopping bag up again. “I’m gonna be up in my room. Don’t bother me unless it’s important or for dinner.”

They watched him leave. Pidge sighed. She had to keep joining in on the teasing to not let her worries show. She really didn’t want Matt and Shiro to have to deal with that when their wedding was so soon. It was supposed to be their greatest time, after all. She would have to confront Keith on her own, if she couldn’t shake off the bad feelings or things came to worst.

She really hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to wait till Christmas Eve to get Moon, that's why I left Alola out. Lance ranting over the lack of nice clothes for Calem is based on my own frustration because damn. I was pretty disappointed especially when I saw all the options for Serena  
> I hope I didn't mess up any spelling or names during Pokémon talk, I'm not as familiar with the English versions ^^" it was fun writing though.  
> Keith's reason for being late is based from a tumblr post I saw before about history professors literally fighting over theories, and I thought the mental image was hilarious for Keith also because he's into history here :"D


	4. The game is confusing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance is anxious, Keith is clueless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... it's been two months since the last update. My apologies^^" I keep getting hit by random bursts of writer's block and keep having too many projects (on top of the general big bang, I also recently signed up for the Klance big bang, so yay two huge projects I should pour all my energy into)
> 
> This chapter feels more like a filler kind of chapter or something, and there's a lot of Lance-focus in here. But I feel like this is still important and I _did_ finally write something for this story again ~~(even though they kind of decided to do what they want because I didn't plan this chapter out)~~ , so there's that. I hope you'll like it.

It was Wednesday. That was not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but it so happened that Lance had woken up feeling more anxious and insecure than usual. Wednesday was when he had a lot of free time and under normal circumstances that would be great; but on days like this, not having the chance to get distracted by class or being with people proved to be bad. Wednesday was also the day in the week with less opportunity to meet Keith unless by chance.

Lance sighed and locked his phone screen. Pidge wasn’t able to join him for lunch today, but he didn’t want to just stay in his room. He also didn’t feel like using the kitchen in the dorms to make his lunch like he usually did, so maybe he’d go to the canteen for once. Perhaps he’d run into someone he could talk to, maybe he'd be able to drop by the engineering building to find Pidge or Coran or even Hunk. He’d try to find Allura but didn’t want to bother her considering he knew how busy she was as a med student.

He put his phone and wallet in his pockets and left, thinking he wouldn’t need a jacket over his long-sleeved shirt. It wasn’t _that_ cold, and he’d be fine as long as he didn’t go outside more than necessary.

By the time he reached the canteen, he regretted that decision. He should have known, considering he was easily freezing even in buildings. Yet here he was, too stubborn and feeling too tired to go back to get a jacket or even just a warmer sweater. He’d just have to suffer, and maybe it served him right, too. He didn’t actually feel like eating either, but he knew that his friends would get on his case later if they’d find out he skipped a meal. That, and he did need something to do outside of his room and to be around people. So he got in line, grabbed some pizza that looked appealing to him and got something to drink, then looked around to try to find a table he could sit at. He spotted a table in the back that was occupied only by one person and started to walk over.

When he got nearer, the person happened to look up, and his eyes met dark gray eyes. Lance realized that it was Keith, who looked surprised before waving for him to come join him. Lance was equally surprised but also wondering if maybe it had been a good decision to come here after all. Even though his anxiety and insecurity were screaming inside his mind because he probably looked like a mess and was just wearing a shirt and loose-fitting sweatpants he liked to wear to relax in his room. He didn’t even comb his hair this morning, let alone check if he needed to apply some makeup!

He finally reached the table and sat down across from Keith. “Hey Keith,” he greeted, “I didn’t expect I’d meet you today.”

“Hey,” Keith said. “I didn’t expect to see you, either. I’ve never seen you around here.”

“Oh, usually I make my own lunch in the dorm kitchen and hang out with Pidge outside,” Lance explained.

“So why not today?” Keith asked.

Lance picked up the first slice of pizza and took a bite while thinking about how to answer. Could he already tell Keith about his problems? Did he maybe know a few things? These kinds of things were always hard to assess. He finally replied: “I didn’t really feel up for it and Pidge can’t join me today. I have far too much free time on Wednesdays and had to leave my room before I went crazy.”

“Are you alright?” There was concern audible in Keith’s voice.

“Yeah, I’m … I’m okay, it’s just not that great of a day today I guess.” Lance tried to smile like he usually did. He actually hated showing when he didn’t feel well. Even with Pidge, though his best friend was usually able to tell and help him through it. But if Keith was able to tell that something was wrong, maybe he wasn’t doing such a good job at hiding and pretending. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or upset about that.

“Oh.” Keith looked like he was trying to figure out what to say and failing. They ate in silence for a moment, Lance distracting himself by looking at Keith’s choice of clothes. Today, he was wearing a dark red t-shirt and gray plaid shirt. His usual red jacket was hanging over the back of his chair. When Lance looked more closely at his hands, he noticed the fingerless gloves seemed familiar in a different way than merely being used to seeing them on him.

“Are you wearing the gloves you bought on Saturday?” Lance asked.

Keith looked up, lips curving up in a smile. “Yeah, I’m wearing one of the new belts too. Felt like wearing them today.”

“Cool,” Lance said, “they suit you well.”

“Thanks. Your input back then was a great help too. My family always gets annoyed with me when shopping clothes and stuff.”

“Don’t mention it.” Lance smiled “And I _did_ drag you along to the cosmetics shop when I know the atmosphere in there is too much for most people, and then roped you into looking through those plushies, too.”

Keith snorted a laugh. “It’s fine, I’d do it again anytime if it means you’re happy.”

Lance’s face felt hot now. “That’s, um, thanks,” he mumbled.

Keith smiled. Lance had discovered in the past week that he really, _really_ liked Keith’s smile; it made him look even more handsome, and because of how rarely Lance had seen it before, it felt special. Lance also liked that it seemed to happen a lot when they spent time together and he hoped it was because of him.

They finished their meals in comfortable silence. Lance didn’t feel like he needed to fill it with chatter. Just merely being in Keith’s presence after he had thought there would be a low chance to see him was comforting for Lance. When they had put away their trays, Lance followed Keith outside, not knowing where to go from there. That’s when it hit him again that he had been pretty cold when he got there.

When he visibly shivered and hugged his arms, Keith stopped in his tracks to look at him, brows furrowed in concern. He asked: “Are you cold?”

“A little, but it’s fine,” Lance replied.

Keith, however, had already started to shrug out of his jacket. “You should have said something,” he chided.

“Are you gonna offer me your jacket?” Lance’s voice went higher than he would have liked. He tried to argue: “But then what about yourself? Plus, I’ll be fine once I go back inside. I just didn’t want to go back to my room after I forgot to bring my own jacket.”

“I don’t actually need a jacket, I’m always pretty warm,” Keith replied “But fine, if you don’t want my jacket…” he now started to take off the button-down shirt. “At least take my shirt, it can work like a light jacket.” He went so far as to drape it over Lance’s shoulders.

Lance didn’t think he could blush this much, yet here he was, this close to Keith and half wearing his shirt. He could even take in his scent: it was like those generic sports type 2-1 shower and hair wash products that are usually so boring to Lance but smelled really good on Keith. There was also traces of the same detergent he already knew well from being around Pidge, but mixed with Keith’s scent, it was new and very exciting to Lance.

Wow, his crush really got stronger than ever, ever since they had started to get closer.

“Thanks,” Lance finally said, hoping he didn’t sound breathless or like his heart was beating as fast as if he was running a marathon. “I’ll give it back tomorrow.”

Keith stepped back again, and Lance was both very glad and very sad about the distance. He watched as Keith put his jacket on again. “No problem,” Keith said. “I’d invite you for coffee again too, but I have to get going.”

Lance’s heart skipped a beat. Keith wanted to invite him _again_. Things really looked more and more like he had great chances. “That’s fine, you can invite me again next time.”

Keith smiled. “That’s the plan.” He turned to leave. “I’ll talk to you later, then.”

“Yeah, talk to you later.”

Lance waved as he watched Keith go. He took a deep breath and slipped his arms into the sleeves of Keith’s shirt. Lance’s arms were just a little more skinny than Keith’s, especially with Keith’s stronger upper arms, so it fit well. It was comfortable. It still held Keith’s warmth.

Lance was still having a bad day, but now he felt just that much better.

Eventually, he made his way to the robotics lab, where he hoped to find Coran, hopefully, available to offer some company. Lance wasn’t into engineering, but he’s known Coran through Allura; Lance really admired the man and saw him like family, and Coran was never shy to show how especially fond he was of Lance out of everyone sans Allura. Even if Coran didn’t have a lot of time right now, just hanging around him for a while would prove an effective distraction. After all, Coran always had fun and interesting stories to tell even if often going into weird territory. But that was just part of the man’s charm.

He was in luck—Coran was there, along with Pidge and Hunk, who were both working on projects with Coran around to give instructions and pointers. Lance made his presence known, and when the three looked up to the entrance at him, he smiled sheepishly and asked: “Is it cool if I come in and hang around? Like, just to watch you guys work and have some company?”

Immediately, Coran moved to get a chair for him, placing it near the working space facing everyone. “Of course, my boy, of course! Come on in!” he said.

Lance smiled and walked in properly, sitting down on the offered seat. “Thanks. The lack of activity today has me all bored, and my lunch date was cut short.”

“Ooh? You had a date?” Hunk said in a singsong voice, waggling his eyebrows.

“Well, not quite like that, but kind of?” Lance blushed.

However, before he could try to explain more, Pidge cut in: “You’re wearing Keith’s shirt.” Her tone was matter-of-fact, and she was looking at him intently.

Lance fidgeted under everyone’s gazes. He tried to resist the urge to try to hide his face in the shirt’s collar. Which was mainly to get a hint of Keith’s scent again but also because he was flustered. But that would just lead to more teasing and probably wouldn’t work either. So instead, he said: “Maybe.”

“Dude, don’t weasel your way out of this. Don’t forget the guy is my brother, I walk to school with him every day. I know for a fact that’s his shirt,” Pidge said.

“Alright, alright, yes.” Lance heaved an exaggerated sigh. “I didn’t feel like making lunch in the dorms, so I went to the canteen, and by coincidence, I found Keith and joined him at his table. We had lunch together and left together, it was freezing, and I didn’t bring a jacket or warmer sweater because I am an idiot, and he noticed I was cold, so he gave me his shirt. Then he had to leave and I went here.”

Hunk whistled. “A date _and_ boyfriend shirt-as-jacket? You lucked out, Lance.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Lance squeaked. “Not yet, anyway. He hasn’t asked yet.”

“Why don’t _you_ ask him, then?” Hunk asked.

“What? No, no, no, no way! I can’t do that!” Lance protested. “I’m happy just like this a-and it’d be weird if _I_ ask him to be my boyfriend after just like, a week. S-so, I’m waiting for him to ask me out on some more dates, and maybe if he asks, then that’s cool, and I might say yes.”

Of course, Lance knew that if Keith asked, he would say yes in a heartbeat. The others knew too; everyone seemed to know about his enormous crush on Keith. And yet, he could never get himself to admit out loud just how far he was gone.

“And with Keith being Keith, there’s no way to predict when he’d ask,” Pidge observed.

Lance wasn’t quite sure what it was; if it was because of the anxiety and insecurity, but something made him talk, while his friends went back to tinkering with their machines. “When we were having lunch, he—he said, he didn’t mind being dragged along into the cosmetics shop on Saturday, that he’d go with me again anytime, even, because it made me happy. And he was smiling, a-and even when I joined him, he was concerned asking if something was wrong, and then he gave me his shirt … and he said he would’ve asked me out for coffee right then and there again if he wasn’t busy! And promised to do it again another time!” He hid his face in his hands, the sleeves of Keith’s shirt being very, very near to his nose, and stifled a small groan. “I’ve liked him for ages but now? After just a week of getting closer and talking via text and going on these little sort-of-dates together? I—I really, _really_ like him.”

“He would be a fool not to ask you, if you ask me,” Coran said. Hunk and Pidge agreed.

Lance slowly pulled his hands away from his face again, smiling back at his friends. “Thanks, guys.”

He spent the rest of their time in the lab watching them work, listening to Coran’s stories and his friends’ tech babbling. He may not be able to understand all of it, but he was happy to see them in their element and glad about the needed distraction it provided. Soon, the anxiety had become just a dull feeling in the back of his mind.

The whole time, he continued wearing Keith’s shirt, even when he had returned to his room. He noticed that by the time he got ready for bed, the cupcake scent of his new body cream had started to mix in with Keith’s scent in the fabric. This observation made him feel incredibly warm inside.

He fell asleep wondering if Keith would notice this when he gave the shirt back, and hoping that Keith would ask him out again soon or that he would have the courage to do it himself, whichever came first.

 

~~~~

 

Keith woke up with a start at the sound of his alarm ringing. He groaned, covering his eyes with his right arm. He felt far too hot under his blanket and weird in his stomach and chest. He had had a weirdly intense dream. A dream about kissing Lance. Kissing him _a lot_ and _passionately_. Keith thought he even remembered his dream-self let his hands roam under dream-Lance’s shirt, holding his slim waist. He couldn’t stop thinking about wanting to touch Lance’s skin. Couldn’t stop thinking about the pleased sighs Lance breathed against his lips in the dream. Couldn’t stop thinking how soft Lance’s lips were in the dream, how their tongues moved together. Keith had never kissed before, neither in real life, nor in a dream, but now, he couldn’t stop thinking about it, how good it made his entire body feel.

“What the _hell_ is wrong with me?” he groaned into his room. Had it been some kind of fever dream? Was his body just confused because he was really close to a guy who wasn’t part of his family now? He didn’t have any _feelings_ for Lance, after all, so what was the reason for all these weird things that kept happening to his body lately?

Like yesterday, when he had been surprised to find Lance show up at the canteen at the same time he was having lunch. Lance had looked … different from the usual and again, Keith had been hit with the sudden want to make sure Lance was happy. They had talked, and Keith had _smiled_ , all in the hope that Lance would smile like usual. When they had left together and Lance had shivered in just his long-sleeved baseball shirt, _something_ had stirred in Keith, and before he had known it, he had taken off his jacket to give it to Lance. When Lance had declined it, Keith had gone as far as to give Lance his shirt instead. By leaning all close to him and even putting it on Lance’s shoulder so he wouldn’t decline that, too. And the sight of that had done _things_ to him.

Then, when he had gotten home in the evening, he hadn’t been able to escape his siblings’ teasing. He had fallen asleep to the thought of what if he had had the chance to invite Lance for coffee right then and there. What would have happened if he had been subjected to the sight of Lance wearing his shirt the entire time? What if Lance would wear it tomorrow before returning it?

And now here he was, awake from _that_ dream, and back to thinking about making out with Lance.

“What the hell is _wrong_ with me?” he groaned again.

He finally tore himself out from under the covers to go have a cold shower before breakfast. Hopefully, that would clear his thoughts and get rid of the confusion.

He was fine after that. At least, he thought he was. Until he saw Lance in front of the classroom of their shared literature class.

Lance was wearing _his_ shirt over a blue and white polo shirt, holding his jacket draped over one arm. And he was beaming once he caught sight of Keith, and walking up to join him. “Good morning, Keith!” he said, voice back to his usual cheer. Keith was happy about that, after the previous day.

Keith meant to say a greeting, but instead, he blurted out: “My shirt looks great on you.”

“Are you sure?” Lance’s eyebrows furrowed slightly just for a second. “I mean, uh, thanks, I guess the style suits me after all.” He was blushing. “I wouldn’t mind keeping it, but I did say I’d return it today, so.” Then, he proceeded to take it off right there in the hallway and held it out to Keith.

Keith took the shirt back, now very glad that this morning, he had felt lazy and only put on a _twenty one pilots_ shirt. This way, he could put the button-down shirt back on in the classroom and wouldn’t have to carry it around or toss it in his bag. They walked into the classroom together, Lance chatting until Keith had to walk over to his usual seat.

Once he sat down, Keith took off his jacket and slipped into the shirt. He was hit with the sweet scent of … cupcakes? Was this one of the things Lance had bought on Saturday? Keith remembered Lance asking him to pick between two types of a product when he couldn’t decide. Keith had no idea what exactly it was, but he did remember that he liked the container and scent better than the other, fruity one Lance had held under his nose. Did the fabric absorb the smell just that fast, or was Keith just that sensitive to it?

He exhaled slowly, only to take a deep breath and repeat once more. He… liked this strange scent on his shirt. If it had been anyone else, he would be annoyed. But it was _Lance_. With his cute face, always wearing pretty clothes, his soft looking hair and skin, sweet scent, that bright smile. But _why_ did he take note of all these things?

He saw Lance turn around slightly and when he caught that Keith had been staring, Lance shot him a wink and another smile. Keith shrugged and waved, and Lance turned back around after sticking out his tongue. But Keith’s heart was racing, the memory of the dream back in his mind. He took another deep breath, exhaling it shakily. He stared down at his hands, wearing the gloves Lance had helped him pick. He tried to will the thoughts away.

 _What the hell_ was wrong with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone did art based on chapter 2!  
> https://twitter.com/noshizorarin/status/819837141656084485


	5. Enter next stage?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonding over idols, a sleepover, and Keith figuring out some things...slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up writing the next chapter sooner than expected, because I am procrastinating on certain other projects and I guess it was the right time ahaha.  
> We are slowly getting somewhere. I'm updating from mobile, so if there's weird formatting anywhere it's because I didn't catch it and I'll go back to fix it in the morning. I finished this chapter despite a headache killing me most of the afternoon and then I stayed on the computer too late. I was too determined to stop before finishing lol

Friday late afternoon found Keith sitting alone in the living room. It had turned out that Samuel and Colleen were out for some kind of event, while Shiro and Matt were staying at their own place. Meaning, Keith was going to be alone while Pidge had her sleepover with Lance and Allura. Keith had tried to prepare himself for that all day, especially after the previous day. He did not really succeed. He also had no idea what to do all night while Pidge and the other two were doing whatever it was they were gonna be doing. Would he just stay cooped up in his room like he usually did? After all, that was … kind of the reason why he had never _really_ been aware of Lance’s presence during all these years. He didn’t even know if the trio would be in Pidge’s room the whole time or occupy the living room or what.

He also had no idea what would happen about dinner, since Samuel and Colleen were already out and Keith was not allowed to try making dinner because he was a disaster in the kitchen. So probably, he would end up making instant noodles or order pizza or something. Maybe that was what Pidge and the others would do, too? He should have asked her.

He was ripped out of his thoughts by the sound of the bell ringing and Pidge yelling down at him to answer it. Keith huffed a sigh and made his way to the front door. As if he wouldn’t have done that anyway, considering Pidge was upstairs, so the task fell to Keith. He pulled open the door—and was met with the sight of Lance right in front of him, as always wearing a stylish ensemble in blue combined with light colors. He carried a larger bag, probably with everything he needed to bring along to a sleepover. His deep blue eyes were widened for a moment, but he smiled at Keith.

“Hi Keith!” he greeted. “If you hadn’t guessed, I’m here for the sleepover, haha.”

Keith blinked at him, probably for far longer than was appropriate at this moment. He finally snapped out of whatever that was to say: “Uh, yeah, come on in, then.” Stepping aside, he held the door open so Lance could walk in. He watched as Lance entered, no sign of discomfort whatsoever as if it was his own home. That was probably what it was like, Keith told himself, considering how close Pidge and Lance had been since they were both little.

He closed the door and followed Lance back into the living room. Keith saw that Lance had settled comfortably on the couch. He resumed his own spot leaning against the armrest on the other end. There was silence. Keith felt awkward. “Pidge is upstairs,” he pointed out dumbly.

“I know.” Lance turned to smile at him. “I just thought I’d spend some time with you while she’s doing whatever it is she’s still doing. It’s not often I get to spend time with you while I’m here, you know.”

“Oh.”

“Not—not that it’s a bad thing or anything, I mean, you probably had good reasons to stay out of sight all the time,” Lance continued on rambling. “But, uh, yeah, it’s nice to see you.”

Keith took in how Lance was fidgeting with his sleeves. Over the past two weeks, he had grown aware of several of Lance’s habits and expressions, without really being aware. He could tell that Lance was nervous, but he had no idea why. Should he dig deeper or something? Ask if something was wrong? Keith had no idea.

In the end, he shrugged. “I never really did anything, just hiding in my room being emo like Pidge would say.”

“Oh.” Lance’s voice was quiet. “Sometimes, I wondered if you were avoiding me.”

_...Lance thought what?_

Keith was surprised. Why would he think that?

“Why would I avoid you?” Keith blurted out.

Lance bit his bottom lip and turned to the side. Keith had noticed that he tended to do that when nervous, biting the left corner. Keith wanted him to stop, wanted to smooth over the soft skin (Keith imagined it was very soft, at least) with his thumb. He remembered the dream he had had yesterday. _Shit._ Not a good road to go down with his thoughts, now.

“I don’t know,” Lance finally mumbled. “It was just dumb thoughts, I guess. I mean, back then we barely talked or anything, so there would’ve been no reason for you to hate me or anything like that. I always wanted to get to know you better, though. But that’s not really important now.” He laughed softly to himself. He turned back to Keith, smile back in place. “I’m happy we’re closer, now.”

It was strange, but it was at that moment that it hit Keith just how pretty Lance was. Smooth bronze skin, deep blue eyes usually shimmering with excitement … and most of all, his smile. It was always Lance’s smile that appeared in Keith’s mind, and he could drown himself in Lance’s eyes. Lance’s mumbled words shifted … something in Keith that made him want to frown, but he didn’t know quite what was wrong or what to say.

So instead, he smiled back. “I’m glad, too.”

They stayed like this, looking at each other, smiling and not saying anything else for a moment.

Until there was the sound of surprisingly loud footsteps running from upstairs and finally down the stairs. They both turned to the direction to see Pidge running in, ponytail bouncing behind her. “Lance!” she yelled in excitement. “Guess what?”

 

“Pidge!” Lance opened his arms and Pidge jumped in for a hug. “I don’t know, what is it?”

“I finished most of my project already, so I won’t have to spend as much time on work tonight. More time to have fun with you and Allura!” she rambled, grinning.

“Awesome!” Lance grinned down at her. “You can avoid Allura going mom-mode on you.”

“Yeah, that, too.”

Keith watched their exchange, feeling something stir inside. Was this jealousy? Who was he jealous of? Was he jealous that Lance was this open, comfortable and familiar with someone who wasn’t him? Was he jealous that he never got this close to his own adoptive sister? Was it all of the above? Keith didn’t know, but he wanted to close whatever gap was between him and Pidge. But most of all, he wanted to be that close to Lance.

At that moment, Pidge, still hugging Lance, turned her head and her hazel eyes met Keith’s eyes. “Oh, Keith. Well, that explains why Lance didn’t come straight to my room,” she remarked. Pidge laughed as Lance made a high-pitched whining noise and swatted at her arm. Then, she spoke again. “So, Keith, what’re you gonna do for the rest of the night?”

Keith shrugged. “Sit around in my room, I guess. The usual.” He remembered about his train of thought from before Lance arrived. He asked: “What’s gonna happen about dinner?”

Pidge detached herself from Lance and flopped down on the couch between both boys, holding her chin in thought. “I don’t know, now that you ask, we could order some pizza in a bit and have that together?” she suggested. “Allura is coming later and will probably already have had dinner, and she wanted to bring some snacks, so we’re fine for our sleepover. You can have what’s still in the house for yourself.”

“How gracious of you.” Keith rolled his eyes. He could hear Lance giggle to his left. The sound made him want to smile. “Well, I’m fine with pizza if Lance is, too.”

“Pizza is cool for me,” Lance chimed in.

“Cool.” Pidge jumped up from the couch again. “I’m gonna go ahead and order then, good thing I know what you boys like. I forgot my phone upstairs, so be right back.”

Keith took note of how Lance seemed to inch closer to him. Keith was able to breathe in his cupcake-scent again. By the time Pidge returned, there was no space for anyone else to sit between them unless they were to become a big tangle-pile. Keith saw Pidge shoot a look between them as she walked back to join them.

She flopped down on Lance’s other side. “So … what now while we wait?” Pidge asked.

“Good question…” Lance threw his head back against the backrest of the couch.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I need to check if I need to drain LP already,” Keith said, pulling out his phone.

Lance’s head snapped back up and he whipped around to look at Keith. “Drain LP?” he asked. “As in, LP in SiF?”

“Yeah,” Keith replied, finger hovering over the app symbol. “Why?”

“I never knew you played, too!” Lance cried out, looking offended. Pidge snickered in the background. “Why did you never tell me?”

“Oh … I guess it never came up?”

Lance pouted. “Well, let’s talk about idols now, then!” his face lit up. “Who’s your best girl? Favorite Attribute? Favorite subunit? Favorite song? Oh…” his expression fell again. “I’m warning you right now, if you hate Nico, then this relationship won’t work.” In the background, Pidge made a choking sound. Lance seemed to have realized his choice of words and blushed, waving his hands as he stuttered out: “Um, not—not that we’re in a relationship or anything, I mean—”

All Keith could think about the scene was how _cute_ Lance was being. And wondering why Lance had spoken like that and why he got so flustered. Keith pushed those thoughts aside in favor of interrupting Lance’s flailing and stuttering with a chuckle. “Actually, my best girl is Nico, so no worries there.” He went on to answer the other questions. “I’m partial to cool songs, but I like the smile girls best. Favorite subunit is BiBi, hands down. I don’t know about a set favorite song, but Strawberry Trapper is pretty awesome.”

While listening to his answers, Lance visibly relaxed. “Oh, that’s good. I kind of relate to Nico a lot, so people hating her feels kind of like a personal attack. But anyway…” he laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “To answer my own questions: my best girl is Maki, I relate to the smile girls a lot, but I love the cool girls. I love cool and smile songs equally and more than pure songs. Favorite subunit has to be BiBi for me, too. I have too many favorite songs, but I’m very partial to Soldier Game.”

From the background, Pidge chimed in: “Hey, Keith, don’t lie to him like that. You’re obsessed with Nico’s solo songs.”

Keith scowled at her. “So what? I like her songs and there’s a reason she’s my best girl.”

Now that he thought of it… he had never really known _why_ Nico and Honoka and Rin were his favorites. They were cute and had nice solo songs as well as duets with others. And true to the name of their attribute, they made him smile. He glanced back at Lance. _Huh._ Maybe he was onto something there.

“Anyway, we should exchange friend codes! I should still have a free spot on my friend list,” Lance chattered while pulling out his own phone.

“Sure, sounds cool.” Keith finally started up the app. He pulled up his profile—displaying his current partner, idolized China Dress Nico—so Lance could enter his friend code once he was in the game, too. Seeing as they were sitting right next to each other, the exchange was quick. Keith now was friends with ‘Blue Lion.’ A look at Lance’s profile revealed idolized Mermaid Maki as his center, as well as a list of social media in the description box. Keith still had more time to go till he needed to drain LP, so he closed out of the app again.

The three spent the rest of the time waiting for their pizzas bonding over idols and eventually other things, continuing as they were eating. Keith felt comfortable. But eventually, Allura showed up, and Pidge and the two guests left for upstairs. Suddenly Keith felt very lonely. The lack of cupcake-scent felt weird.

He sighed, opting to clean up the mess left behind from their pizza dinner. He didn’t know what else to do. But sitting around in the living room doing nothing wouldn’t do him any good, either. He could hear laughter and giggles from upstairs. With another sigh, he made his way to his own room. Even though that meant that he could hear the trio even more clearly now because his room was next to Pidge’s.

This was going to be a long night.

 

~~~~

 

Lance was sitting on one of the pillows positioned on the floor, braiding Pidge’s hair while Pidge was back to tapping away on her laptop after her nails were all done being painted and dry. Allura was in the background preparing some special face masks, her hair already done up in braids woven around her head. So far, conversation topics have been nice and safe. No teasing about Keith. Which was an especially dangerous topic tonight, considering the other boy was right in the next room. But Lance knew that he wouldn’t be safe for long.

And sure enough, there it was. “So, Lance…” Allura spoke up, “how is it proceeding? You know, with you-know-who…”

“I’m not in any kind of relationship with the Dark Lord,” Lance deadpanned.

Pidge snorted a laugh. Allura rolled her eyes. “Fine then, how is it proceeding with your Mr brooding lone wolf, your Dark Knight, your—”

 

“Why are you even making a list of nicknames like that?” Lance grumbled.

“Because those are characters that are your Type™ and similar to him,” Pidge pointed out.

“I don’t have a type!”

“Sounds fake, but okay,” Allura said.

Lance pouted at her.

Pidge, naturally, continued. “What about Alternis Dim? Janne Engard? Ever since you played the Bravely games, you kept going on and on about how they’re just like him. Heck, even Lord DeRosso and you’re practically in love with that guy.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault that he’s very, _very_ handsome for a 2.4 thousand years old fictional immortal pseudo-vampire and has touched my heart!” Lance huffed. “And Alternis and Janne are just really cool, okay? And they give me feels. Doesn’t mean I have a type. I love plenty of other characters too who are nothing like him.”

“I’m just pointing out the pattern,” Pidge said.

“All you need to do is answer the question,” Allura said in sing-song. “The more you try to get away, the less likely we drop the topic.”

“Ugh, fine.” Lance threw his arms up in a dramatic gesture before going back to finishing Pidge’s braid. “There isn’t anything to tell, though. Nothing happened that you don’t already know.”

“Oh, Lance…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lance sighed, “I really, really like him and dream of being his boyfriend someday soon, everyone knows already, now can we drop the topic just for tonight?”

 _I don’t want Keith to hear that I like him through sleepover gossip like this, I want to tell him myself … eventually_ , he tried to communicate to them in silence.

Thankfully, they seemed to understand. “Alright, alright. You’re off the hook … just for tonight,” Allura said with her hands in a placating gesture. “Now, who wants to be the first to use the special green mud mask?”

“I call dibs!” Pidge yelled. “Because we’re at my house.”

Lance groaned. “Damn it Pidge, I really need that mask, my skin is so terrible right now!”

“Aw, no arguments, you two, you know there’s enough for all of us,” Allura chided. “And Lance, your skin is as wonderful as ever.”

“It really isn’t though, it’s a mess!” Lance whined. After Wednesday, he had several blemishes and an increase of oiliness appear. It was a nightmare. If it wasn’t for his skills with makeup, he wouldn’t have survived the past two days.

“You’re being dramatic. Like Allura said, there’s enough for all of us. And it’s probably just stress or hormones or something, so don’t stress yourself out even more, okay?” Pidge said in what was her soothing voice.

Lance huffed but smiled down at her. “Yeah … you’re right, it’s gonna be fine in a few days.” He secured Pidge’s braid with a hair tie and picked up some bobby pins and clips from the box of hair accessories on the floor next to him. “Now turn around so I can make sure your fringe won’t fall into your face or all that mud is gonna go to waste.”

“Aye-aye.” Pidge did as told and Lance pushed the front section of her hair away from her face, expertly securing it with the pins and clips. Once that was done, Allura immediately moved in front of Pidge to apply the mud to her face.

“Perfect. No speaking now,” Allura reminded, earning her a thumbs-up from Pidge. “You can finish up your programming while the mud is doing its work since that will stop you from accidentally messing it up.” A double thumbs-up. Both Allura and Lance laughed.

“Well since I can’t have the mud treatment right now, I think now it’s my turn for the manicure,” Lance said.

“Of course. Picked any colors already?” Allura asked.

“I want that shiny deep red one,” Lance replied, pointing to a bottle of nail polish in the box next to Allura’s pillow. “And before you say anything, no, it’s not because it’s the most-worn color by my crush. I simply happen to like that color.”

“Of course, you do because it’s the color your crush wears the most.” Allura snickered.

“You are terrible!” Lance whined and hid his face in his hands. Beside him, Pidge was tapping furiously on her keyboard to suppress the urge to laugh out loud.

Once Allura had calmed her own laughing fit, she picked out all the tools needed and tapped her hands against the space in front of her. “Now move over here so I can do your nails.”

Lance scooted over and watched as Allura got to work. Usually, he had a lot of trouble keeping still, but it was easier when his friends were there. And Allura had figured out over the years how to handle Lance and make him sit still. Plus, the results when she did anyone’s nails were fantastic.

They were chatting about this and that. At some point before Lance’s nails were done, Pidge left to rinse the mud from her face. Finally, it was Lance’s turn to have the treatment. He couldn’t use his hands yet, so the girls were entertaining him. It was a good night. Knowing that Keith was in the next room over didn’t give him anxiety, it was the same as it had been for years. It made his heart beat faster, though.

Maybe someday, he could stay in Keith’s room.

 

~~~~

 

Meanwhile, Keith had a hard time. Whenever he heard Lance talk or laugh or giggle through the wall, he got distracted. He kept messing up his combos when playing, or kept dropping things he was holding. It was so bad, he nearly cut his hand while polishing his heirloom dagger; the only thing he had left from his birth mother. Considering he had always had an affinity to handling knives and blades of all kinds, that was a new low.

Keith had to admit that he should face the fact that _something_ was going on, that he was feeling _something_. However, that didn’t mean that he actually wanted to deal with that. It was new territory. It was a bit scary. Keith didn’t know what it would mean for the future, what kind of consequences it would bring.

At one point, he heard Allura and Pidge tease Lance about a guy he liked. Keith frowned down at his hands. If Lance liked someone, then Keith had to make a move, before it was too late. With only about a week left—failing at this point would suck. There wasn’t anyone else Keith was interested in, in whichever way. And he really did not want to admit defeat nor have to deal with everyone pitying him.

There was also the weird feeling in his chest at the thought of Lance liking another guy. Was he jealous? Why was he jealous?

Sometime after that, Keith just returned from the bathroom when Lance stepped out of Pidge’s room. His face was covered in some kind of green stuff. He was wearing a sky-blue silky-looking bathrobe. His fingernails really were painted red like Keith had overheard them talk. Lance shot him a smile when they crossed paths, resulting in the green stuff (some kind of mud, if he remembered right?) to crack around his lips. The sight should have been ridiculous, so why was Keith’s first thought that it was endearing and beautiful?

Keith tried to pass the time. Focusing on reading about mythology was hard when he kept getting distracted by the sound of voices through the wall. Eventually, he put on his headphones and listened to music. At some point, he fell asleep without noticing.

 

When he woke up, music was still playing through the headphones that had fallen off and lied discarded on the pillow. His e-book reader was also still there, right next to Keith’s head. Keith groaned. This kind of thing didn’t usually happen. At least he hadn’t had any dreams like the other night. A look at his phone also told him that it was only 8 am. A rather normal time, but he doubted that anyone would be awake at this hour.

Still, Keith couldn’t fall back asleep now, even though otherwise, he might have caught another hour of sleep because it was the weekend. He paused his music player and put it on the nightstand along with the e-book reader and got up. Because he didn’t want to bother with getting dressed right now, he left his room in just his black v-neck shirt and red boxers.

Once downstairs, he went to the kitchen to start the coffee maker and have a glass of water. He downed the liquid, thinking maybe he should’ve splashed his face with cold water first, too. But before he could move, the sound of soft footsteps walking down the stairs reached his ears. Keith wondered who it could be.

He found out just a moment later when Lance entered the kitchen.

The other was tiredly rubbing at his eyes. Once he realized that someone else was there, however, his movement froze. Keith froze as well. Lance was wearing cute baby blue pajamas consisting of a shirt with a white cat face on the front, and striped shorts. His hair, usually soft curls, was messed up from sleep. It was a cute sight. When Keith took a closer look at Lance’s face, he noticed the circles under his eyes. Had his eyes always looked this tired?

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Lance cleared his throat before croaking out: “Morning, Keith!”

“Morning,” Keith said. “You look...tired.”

Lance shrugged. “Did you make enough coffee? I could really use some right now.”

“Understandable.” Keith pulled two mugs from the cupboard. Once the coffee was done running through the machine, Keith took the pot and poured coffee into both cups. He handed the first mug to Lance. Ironically, Keith noticed now that Lance had a red mug, while Keith had blue.

Lance took the mug with a grateful mumble and immediately brought it to his lips. Keith was just about to add sugar to his own when he saw him do it. Keith raised his eyebrows. “Don’t you usually take your coffee with milk?” he asked.

“Yeah, but I drink it black once in a while,” Lance replied with a shrug. “Like when I just woke up early in the morning and meet my best friend’s brother in the kitchen wearing nothing but boxers and a t-shirt, while still wearing my PJs myself and not binding my chest.” He seemed to have realized the scene they were in only just now, going by the pause accompanied by his eyes blinking (and was that a faint blush?). “Anyway, I’m still surprised _you_ take your coffee with sugar. I always thought you’d be all over black coffee and nothing else.”

“I don’t know, I never actually tried it. It’s kind of a habit to always add sugar, you know, because that’s how I started,” Keith said. He gave it a thought and pushed the sugar jar away. He lifted his mug and took a careful sip. “This … actually isn’t so bad. Bitter, though.”

Lance snorted into his mug, followed up by a cough to the side. “Isn’t that kind of the whole point of coffee?”

“Shut up,” Keith mumbled. “It’s still early, let me live.”

This only resulted in a giggle fit from Lance. Keith watched him from where he rested with his backside against the counter and couldn’t stop the smile forming on his face. He hid it behind his coffee mug. His mind returned to the previous night. He remembered that he had to do something. He put the mug down on the counter.

“Hey, Lance,” he said to catch the other’s attention again.

“Hmm?” Lance looked at him with curious eyes. He had still been in the middle of the kitchen but then moved over to lean sidewards against the counter, with a bit of space between him and Keith, facing him.

Keith took a breath and turned his face towards Lance.

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who would have thought that my attempt at a cliffhanger would be like this lmao it came to me the other night when I couldn't fall asleep. It also took me this long to add the "keith is bad at feelings" tag since that's kind of part of root of angst and stuff here


	6. Level Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are kisses and giddy feelings on one hand, more confusion on the other. In the middle, Pidge is still struggling too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I don't know if I can promise more frequent updates now" *finishes next chapter in less than a week*  
> Let's enjoy this while my hyperfocus lasts on this story ^^" (I really need to force myself to sit down and make outlines of my several ideas for the Klance big bang sigh)  
> I also want to say thank you for all the kudos, comments, and subscriptions so far! Thank you for sticking around or even just stopping by, it means a lot to me.
> 
> I decided to clean up the tags to only have the relevant tags because I felt that it was too cluttered. My process of adding new tags is like "huh, people remark about that, maybe I should add that to the tags" (see: Pining Lance) "huh, this is kind of a thing, should I tag this? I'll ask my friends for thoughts" because I have that thing where I'm hesitant to tag things when I feel it's barely there lol
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this cute chapter after the "evil" cliffhanger, haha

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

If you had told Lance that he would hear these words from his crush while they were standing in the kitchen of the Holt household, having coffee at 8 in the morning on a Saturday, Lance would have laughed at you. He would have laughed until he teared up, not quite able to tell if it’s from laughter or something else. Then, he would have put his hands on your shoulder, looked straight into your eyes and said: “That’s a good one.”

Yet here he was, in his cute pajamas, having coffee with Keith who was wearing just a black v-neck and red boxers. Keith was looking at him with a serious expression, eyes as intense as ever. Lance could only stare back, gaping.

He opened and closed his mouth like a fish a couple of times, trying to regain his speech. “I—I’m—that’s—” he swallowed and placed the mug down on the counter, feeling too shaky, and finally burst out: “Yes! I would like to be your boyfriend!”

He could hear Keith let out a breath. Had he been anxious for Lance’s answer?

Keith’s eyes remained fixed on him, but his lips curled up in a smile. “Cool.”

Lance breathed out a laugh. If this was anyone else, he would be highly disappointed and probably reconsider his answer. But this was _Keith_. Lance already knew that he wasn’t an expert in subtlety and tact. Especially when looking back at all their interactions, starting with the way Keith had asked him out for coffee that first time after class. While Lance wasn’t prepared for this to happen so suddenly, he knew that anything could be expected from Keith. And to be honest, even though it was weird and ridiculous, if sometimes a little frustrating, Lance found that all this was part of Keith’s charm.

Feeling bolder again now, Lance moved closer. “Hey, Keith.” he poked a finger at Keith’s chest and smiled playfully. “You do realize that you can’t just ask me to be your boyfriend without kissing me, right? It’s part of the protocol.”

“... There is a protocol?” Keith’s brows furrowed.

Lance giggled at his clueless reaction. “Yes. But it’s okay, I can let it slide this time.” He closed the gap to give a peck to Keith’s lips.

This seemed to turn the switch in Keith’s head. He placed his hands on Lance’s waist to draw him even closer as he kissed back eagerly.

It was obvious that Keith had no experience—not that Lance was much better—but Lance’s eyes fluttered closed. His arms snaked around Keith’s neck, fingers nestling into his hair. The kiss lasted for a minute or so until they had to part for breath. Even so, they stayed impossibly close, gazing into each other’s eyes. Lance was smiling so much he thought his face might break.

“Huh.” Keith breathed against Lance’s lips. “That was … something.”

Lance rolled his eyes but continued to smile. “Well, that’s one way to describe a kiss.” Reluctantly, he drew back, despite Keith still holding his waist in a rather strong grip. “Our coffee’s getting cold,” he pointed out. “Let’s go sit down, we can kiss more, later.”

“Okay.” Keith let go so Lance could step back.

They both grabbed their mugs, walked over to the living room and sat down on the sofa (Lance scooting so close he was basically on Keith’s lap). They were sitting in silence for a moment, Lance being content relishing the new situation. He had a boyfriend now. _Keith_ was his boyfriend. _He_ was Keith’s boyfriend. If he was still sleeping and this was a dream, he wanted to enjoy it to its fullest.

He accidentally hit the brim of his mug against his teeth while taking a sip. Okay, not a dream, then. Lance grinned into his coffee. He felt giddy and leaned further into Keith. He was pleased when Keith curled his free arm around him.

At some point, they placed their empty mugs on the coffee table. They shared more kisses. Keith’s lips were chapped, a stark contrast to Lance’s perfectly soft lips. Lance didn’t mind at all because Keith kissed with a fire. Soon, it turned open-mouthed, their tongues exploring each other. Lance didn’t care that they still didn’t even get dressed properly, that he didn’t bind his chest. At that moment, he also didn’t care that Allura and Pidge or anyone else could walk in on them like that at any moment.

He was too caught up in the bliss that was being together with Keith.

 

~~~~

 

Pidge woke up late, which was not unusual when staying up late after a sleepover. Allura woke up around the same time, also not uncommon for the same reason. Lance was not in his spot between them on the huge blanket nest on the floor; also not surprising, considering Lance had always had trouble sleeping and usually got up early. A look at the time told her that Keith was likely up, as well. Her parents weren’t coming home till later in the day.

The two girls got dressed and prepared for the day before making their way downstairs. When they got to the living room, they were met with a sight they had not expected.

There, on the couch, were Keith and Lance. So far, so good.

However, they were sitting close. Close, as in with barely any space between them. And most of all, making out.

Pidge bit her lips. Of course, it wasn’t _that_ unexpected to happen—she had anticipated this. It was the timing that she hadn’t expected.

Allura cleared her throat. Pidge watched as the two boys separated and slowly turned their heads towards the source of the sound. A closer look revealed that Lance was practically sitting on Keith’s lap, while Keith had his hands firmly on Lance’s hips. Pidge swallowed down her bad feelings. She didn’t know yet what had happened before they walked in, after all.

Keith looked annoyed, while Lance smiled sheepishly. His face was visibly flushed. “Uh, hey, good morning,” Lance greeted.

“Yes, good morning,” Allura said, sizing up the boys. “So … care to explain what’s happening here?” Pidge glanced up at her, seeing the glint in her eyes; the same gleam when it came to the newest gossip.

“What’s there to explain?” Keith stared back, unimpressed. “I’m kissing my boyfriend.”

“Yeah,” Lance added. “Two boyfriends kissing, on the couch, still in our sleepwear, that’s not forbidden, is it?”

“Well, no, we just didn’t expect to walk in on this, is all,” Pidge said. She shared a look with Allura. “Well, congratulations, then.”

“Did you boys by chance have breakfast already?” Allura asked.

Lance shook his head no. “Keith made coffee for us, but that’s all.”

“How about we all go out to have breakfast somewhere?” Allura suggested. When everyone mumbled agreement, she clapped her hands. “Great. We’ll wait down here while you boys get dressed and ready.”

Pidge watched the boys leave for the stairs, their fingers linked, Lance smiling giddily. She frowned and sat in one of the armchairs, drawing her knees up to her chest and hugging her arms around them.

Allura gave her a worried look. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know…” Pidge mumbled. “I just … I can’t shake the feeling that something’s not right.”

“What do you mean?” Allura seated herself on the sofa, on the end close to Pidge’s seat.

“I can’t explain it, I just … it’s so sudden, you know?” Pidge sighed. “I haven’t talked about this to anyone yet because I don’t want to bother Matt and Shiro like that right before their wedding. Mom is so thrilled I don’t want to bring this up with her either, and I haven’t had any time with just dad alone. Lance, I obviously don’t want to make his anxiety worse. And Keith…” she sighed again. “I don’t know. I had thought I was better at understanding him, but ever since the other week, I can’t stop feeling irritated with him.”

“So if I’m reading this correctly, and correct me if I’m wrong … you’re worried that Keith isn't sincere?”

Pidge nodded. “We pretty much all know that Keith was never interested in anyone before, and in the past years, he was usually in his room whenever Lance was over. I mean, I obviously have no idea what happens when we’re all at school and who knows what’s going on in Keith’s head—I sure don’t. Then there’s how oblivious he can be.” There was a moment of pause before she continued. “I’m worried that he’ll end up hurting Lance. I really, really don’t want to see Lance get his heart broken like that. But I also really, really don’t want to grow even more distant from Keith, you know? He’s part of my family, but it’s like we’re barely friends, and I hate it. My paranoia is putting this rift between us, and I _hate_ it.”

“Oh, dear…” Pidge had buried her face against her arms and knees, but she could hear Allura move and not a second after, gentle arms wrapped around her. “I know how worried you are for Lance. And we all know how distant Keith can be. I’m sure everything’s going to be alright, and I’ll always be there if you need someone to talk to. And if Keith really is pulling something dumb, I will kick his butt. And I’ll get Coran to give him a talk. No one messes with our Lance.”

At her words, Pidge looked up to give her a watery smile. “Thanks, Allura. You’re the best sister I never had.”

“You are my favorite little sister I never had, too.” Allura smiled and gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder. “Now, let’s go have some water before the boys are done. We have to look our best, after all.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Pidge jumped up to head over to the kitchen. Allura talked about her four pet mice to distract her. Pidge really appreciated it; Allura always did that when Lance was anxious, too. They all loved Allura’s mice, and the mice, likewise, loved them.

By the time Keith and Lance joined them all ready to go, Pidge was feeling better. A little, at least. She still just couldn’t shake away the bad feelings lingering in her gut.

 

~~~~

 

It had been a while since the last time Keith had gone out with a group like that. In recent times, Keith had usually stayed on his own, aside from family outings when he couldn’t avoid those, either. That is, until Lance happened.

His boyfriend now.

Well, _pretend_ boyfriend. Not that Lance knew about _that_ part.

They were sitting in a booth in a café that Allura had picked. Allura and Pidge were seated on one side of the table, Keith and Lance on the other. They were sitting close together on the bench, thighs touching, both towards the middle instead of Keith seated by the edge with Lance leaning against the wall (like Pidge was doing across from them). Keith told himself it was just for the show. All these feelings were still too strange, too much for him to deal with right now.

But kissing Lance had felt really nice. Holding his waist had felt really nice, too. It was exactly like that dream from the other day, maybe even better. Keith couldn’t get enough of it.

While they were waiting for their food, talking was mostly done by the other three. Keith mainly was glancing at Lance. It was strange, sitting right next to him, so close that he had to turn his head to look at him. So far, when they had been out together, they had always been across from each other.

How was he supposed to watch Lance’s smile like this?

There it was again, one of those weird thoughts. And it was at that moment that Lance decided to turn towards Keith—meaning they were looking right at each other, their faces in perfect _kiss-distance_. And Lance was grinning at him, all beaming but with a hint of shyness because he caught Keith looking at him. Keith could’ve counted each and every freckle dusting Lance’s cheeks and nose. He could’ve even counted his lovely, long, dark eyelashes. This close, Lance’s deep ocean blue eyes seemed even more shining than usual. Made him drown even more. Everything was hypnotizing.

Keith really wanted to kiss him again right there.

To his luck—or dismay?—it was at that moment that the waitress returned with their meals. Keith had picked a simple plate of eggs and bacon with toast and butter; Allura had two croissants with jam while Pidge had a stack of pancakes with syrup. All of them had a coffee drink, and Lance had a plate with merely one waffle with chocolate drizzled on top. Keith frowned down at Lance’s plate. Once more, he had this weird feeling of some kind of protectiveness towards the other boy.

“Are you sure that’s all you’re gonna eat?” Keith asked.

“Uh…” Lance glanced at Keith, sheepish smile still in place. “I’m not that hungry?”

“That’s barely anything—and come to think of it, the other day you only had like two slices of pizza for lunch, too,” Keith pressed on. Without waiting for an answer, he started buttering one of the slices of toast, slapping on some of his scrambled eggs and bacon while he was at it, and pushed it in front of Lance. “Here, eat that first. Or do I have to feed you?”

Lance squeaked out: “No, that’s not—I mean, I’m fine, I can eat on my own.” Keith was pleased to see that he picked up the offered food, taking a careful bite (Keith realized maybe he loaded too much on top).

From across the table, he heard a stifled giggle, and when he looked up, Allura was covering her mouth with one hand. Pidge, however, was watching him with her head tilted, as if analyzing him to the core. She had been doing that a lot, the past two weeks.

Keith raised an eyebrow at the girls before focusing on his own plate. Under the table, his fingers linked with Lance’s. He couldn’t tell who had initiated it. Everything was confusing. It didn’t feel _bad_ , but he had no idea what it all _meant_.

This time, Keith took part more in the conversation while everyone was eating. He and Lance kept holding hands underneath the table the entire time. They stayed for a while, taking their time. Keith had fun. He felt comfortable. He never really thought that he’d need this kind of thing, while he had been sticking to himself for some reason he couldn’t even remember. He wanted to have this more often, and he wanted to connect better with his family, build more friendships.

When they were done and left, Keith sat in the backseat with Lance as Allura drove them all back to the Holt residence. Allura and Lance both decided to stay a while longer, and they played games together in teams of two, switching up after every turn. It turned out that even as boyfriends, whenever they were on opposing sides, Lance was still incredibly competitive towards Keith. Not that Keith was any better, rising to each challenge and being determined to beat Lance each time. When they were teamed together, though, their teamwork was incredible.

At some point, Matt and Shiro showed up and joined in the fun. The two were an incredible team, though unlike Keith and Lance when they were on opposing sides, it was only Matt who was determined to crush Shiro. And they kept kissing in between, though neither of those points was news to Keith or Pidge. Keith wondered if it would be okay to kiss Lance like that too, and he was sure that Lance was glancing at him each time, but Keith didn’t know what to do.

Their alternating teams were all pretty even—Allura teamed up with either Shiro or Matt was a force to be reckoned with, while Matt and Pidge were simply impossible to predict. Shiro and Keith were a skillful combination, while Pidge and Lance worked together like a well-oiled machine.

Whenever Keith was out of rotation while Lance was playing, Keith watched him, taking in the way his tongue stuck out in focus; how he cheered loudest out of all whenever he scored a victory, how he slumped momentarily after a defeat only to grin and declare he would win next time. It was mesmerizing, how one boy alone could be so full of life, full of so many facets. In his mind, Keith wished to discover them all, memorize them all.

After one particularly great victory for ‘team purple’ (as they were dubbed) against Matt and Shiro, Lance was cheering while everyone praised his winning move. When Lance turned around to Keith with his bright grin, Keith couldn’t stop himself: he put his hands around the back of Lance’s head to pull him in for a kiss. Lance’s hair was soft beneath his fingertips, and Lance’s smooth lips tasted like cherry from the chapstick he had used earlier. Lance’s hands found their way on Keith’s chest, grabbing at the material of his shirt. Keith wanted more.

But just like in the morning, they were interrupted by a cough, this time from Shiro. The two boys separated, though still held onto each other. They turned their heads to look at the two older men, who both looked at them with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

“What,” Keith said. “You two do it all the time.”

“Yeah, but we’ve been dating for the longest time and are about to get married,” Matt stated.

“So? Lance and I are dating, too.”

“Well, this is news,” Shiro said.

“That’s because we only started dating today,” Lance explained.

“Yeah. I asked him out just this morning,” Keith added.

“Congratulations, then.”

This could have been worse, Keith thought. He knew later he would have to tell the news to Colleen and Samuel. He would be able to do that, too, if he just thought about the success. Pidge was looking at him from the side again, but he ignored it.

Sometime during the afternoon, Allura and Lance packed their things again so they could leave. Keith shared another kiss with Lance in the hallway. After he watched him go, Keith felt strange. He ignored it in favor of playing more games with his family.

 

~~~~

 

When Lance was back in his dorm, he tried to figure out what to do. He was still so giddy from the events of the day. He missed his boyfriend. It still felt surreal, calling Keith his boyfriend now. But Lance was so happy, the happiest he’d been in a while.

Trying to think of something to pass the time, he remembered about their date in the mall the previous weekend. He remembered how he had told Keith about his needlework hobby and how he had had the idea to knit matching items for them.

“That’s it!” he said into his empty room. “I’m gonna knit matching beanies! I should have enough material, and I can finish them by Monday no problem.”

Already while speaking, he dug into his neatly arranged supplies. Just as he thought, he had a good amount of soft alpaca wool both in deep red and sky blue. He decided to start with the red one for Keith. He got comfortable on his bed with all the needed supplies gathered around him, phone right beside him, and put some music on shuffle.

He was so absorbed he ended up working into the night, finishing the main part of both beanies. He immediately went about gently washing and carefully stretching them so that he’d be able to sew them together tomorrow.

When he was done putting away all supplies and getting ready for bed, he checked his phone. There were the usual messages from Pidge as well as a goodnight message from Keith. Smiling brightly at the screen, he replied with a goodnight and kiss-catface emoji even though he knew Keith wouldn’t see until morning. That night, Lance fell asleep pleasantly.

Sunday was spent doing schoolwork and studying, texting his friends and boyfriend in between. In the evening, he finished the beanies, including added details: three carefully embroidered stars to the border on the front side, using the other’s color. He felt very proud of himself when he looked at his finished work.

He sent a text to Keith.

 **Lance:** can we meet up in the morning?

He had to wait a minute or two for a reply.

 **Keith:** you broke my combo  
**Lance:** oh no I’m sorry :C  
**Keith:** nah it’s okay. it was beat in angel anyway  
**Lance:** oohhh. okay. that one beatmap?  
**Keith:** yeah pretty much  
**Lance:** relatable tho for me that’d be otomeshiki  
**Lance:** but we’re getting off topic  
**Lance:** sooo can we meet up in the morning?  
**Keith:** yeah sure I can come early  
**Lance:** great :D cause I miss you  <3  
**Lance:** also I have a surprise for you!!  
**Keith:** what surprise?  
**Lance:** if I told you now it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore :/  
**Keith:** fair enough. guess I gotta be patient till morning  
**Keith:** though patience is not one of my strong points  
**Lance:** it’s a good thing I promise  <3  
**Keith:** alright I believe you  
**Lance:** good  
**Lance:** I hope you have a great night  <3  
**Keith:** you too lance

...

 **Keith:** <3

There had been a significant pause between Keith’s last two messages, but when the notification popped up, Lance broke into a huge smile. He didn’t think he could smile so much his face felt like breaking. Yet here he was because his boyfriend sent him a heart emoji. Lance actually felt like rolling around on his bed. He felt like a middle school girl having her first crush all over again.

 **Lance:** <3 <3

Everything was perfect at this moment. All his anxiety from the recent days seemed so far away now. He was in love and happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been dying to use the "you broke my combo" line because it's #relatable lol
> 
> Every time people comment on how cute etc they are, I laugh and cry a little to myself because The Angst is on the horizon... This story is with planned angst, I didn't even mean to have fluff throughout, but apparently, my Soft Klance is too strong  
> (Don't worry, though, even then, the angst won't last forever. I am a Fluff Guy, there will always be happy)


	7. It's still confusing, but it's fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finds a place in a group of friends and has another realization. Lance continues floating on cloud 9.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, with another chapter of fluff ... but the clouds are darker on the horizon now. Be prepared, get an umbrella.

Monday morning, Keith started out tired. He had lied awake at night for a while, mentally going over his text conversation with Lance. Had he been supposed to say “I miss you too.”? He did miss him, but saying it out loud felt like making things real. He had sent a heart emoji back, but only after a lot of inner debate. And after he had and Lance had sent back two more hearts, he had had to lay back and stare at the ceiling for a while to calm his beating heart.

And now he was up early because he had promised Lance he’d be there early. He really wanted to know what this surprise was that Lance had talked about. That was another thing that had kept him up, trying to think of what it could be. And then there was the question of whether or not they would kiss again, at school, before the start of class.

Keith actually tried to put some thought into what he was going to wear today instead of just picking whichever he felt like or was within reach. He also took a shower just to be sure.

Here he was now, standing outside of Lance’s dorm building because he had ended up so early. He hoped Lance would be impressed by his choice of black shirt and dark red jeans, combined with red shoes and his signature red leather jacket. Pidge had commented that it was “7.8 too much red,” but Keith didn’t really care. And besides, he was also wearing his black signature fingerless gloves as well as black leather belts. He also recalled Lance saying before that he liked what Keith wears. That should include knowing that Keith’s wardrobe was mostly made up of black and red.

Keith was so lost in thought he nearly didn’t notice Lance had come out until there was an excited shout of his name and arms wrapping around him not a moment after.

“Hey, good morning, Lance,” Keith said, chuckling nervously.

“Good morning!” Lance kissed him on the cheek before stepping back. He was wearing beige pants, light blue sneakers and a navy blue coat with a collar and cuffs of white, fake fur and with the buttons undone. Underneath, he was wearing what Keith thought was a gray and white striped t-shirt and pale blue dress shirt. His soft curls were poking out from a sky blue beanie with red stars on the front border. Again, Keith was hit with just how cute and pretty Lance was.

“You look nice,” Keith blurted out.

Lance smiled. “Aw, thanks! You look handsome as ever, too. A lot of red, though, not that that’s a bad thing. Actually, there’s gonna be some more of it now.” Keith watched as Lance opened his messenger bag to pull something out. “Ta-dah! This is the surprise I was talking about last night!”

He pushed the object into Keith’s hands, who looked down at it in confusion. It was a deep red knit object with sky blue stars. “A beanie?” he asked, looking back up at Lance.

“Yep!” Lance grinned. “I worked on them after I got back home on Saturday. They’re matching!”

“Well, I guess I better put it on right now, then,” Keith said and pulled it over his head, adjusting his bangs and the longer hair in the back. “How’s it look?”

Lance smiled even wider. “Looks even better than I knew it would!”

“Thanks.” Keith smiled back. “Uh, both for the compliment and the gift.”

“Don’t even mention it!” Lance stepped beside him and linked his arm around Keith’s. “Now all I need is a good morning kiss before we get to class.” He batted his eyelashes, smiling sweetly.

Well, that answered the question of whether or not there was going to be a kiss.

“Sure,” Keith said. He turned to have a better angle and leaned in. Lance met him in the middle. The kiss was softer and shorter than most of their kisses on Saturday, but when they parted, Lance was giggling breathlessly, and his cheeks seemed to glow with a blush. Keith didn’t even notice the smile on his own face. “Better now?”

“Much better!” Lance grinned. “Though I expect more, later.”

“Sure, sure.” Keith chuckled. “Let’s go to class, then.”

They walked together, arms still linked. Monday morning, their first class happened to be Astronomy, a course they also shared with Pidge and another friend of both Lance and Pidge. Keith had never really interacted much with Hunk; he had ended up sitting in a spot away from the trio, having felt awkward to join with them when he felt like a stranger. But now he also had Lance, and he _did_ want to make more friends now.

“Hey, Lance,” Keith spoke up. When Lance hummed to indicate he was listening, Keith continued. “Do you think I can go sit with you?”

“Sure!” Lance glanced at him with a smile. “There’s still a free space with us, and I’m pretty sure Pidge and Hunk won’t mind!”

“Cool.”

Lance laughed. “You say that to everything.”

“What else am I supposed to say?” Keith raised a brow at him. “It gets the point across.”

“I’m just teasing, jeez.”

Keith snorted at that, and soon, they were both laughing. Keith’s mood was increasing a lot. Soon enough, they reached the location of their lecture. Pidge and Hunk were already waiting. For the second time, Keith was smiling without noticing, when Lance waved enthusiastically the moment he spotted his friends.

The other two waved back. Once they were within reach, Pidge piped up: “Morning, love-birds.”

“It’s nice to see you, too, Pidge.” Lance rolled his eyes at her. Pidge just grinned up at him.

“Morning,” Hunk greeted. He turned to Keith, giving him a once-over. “That’s a lot of red.”

“I know, right? 7.8 too much red,” Pidge chimed in.

“How original, recycling your words from earlier.” Keith rolled his eyes. “So what if it’s a lot of red, it looks good on me.”

“Says who?” Pidge raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him.

“Says Lance,” Keith said without blinking.

Hunk and Pidge both broke into laughter as Lance choked on a high-pitched noise. Lance glared at them, and once they calmed down, he changed the subject: “A-anyway, Keith is gonna sit with us now.”

“That’s fine with me!” Hunk said.

“No objections from me, either,” Pidge agreed. “It’s not like our seats are gonna be mixed up and I’m used to being exposed to Keith anyway.”

Keith rolled his eyes at her.

Lance detached himself from Keith’s arm so he could clap his hands. “Great. Keith gets the empty seat by the window, everything else stays the same.”

“Cool.”

“Should we head in, then?” Hunk asked. “Sitting is more comfortable than hanging out here in the hall.”

Everyone voiced their agreement, and they walked in together. Keith let himself be led until they reached the right row; he walked to his new seat first, Lance right behind him followed by Pidge and Hunk. They got out their notes and spent the rest of the wait talking. Keith started out just observing, but Lance made sure to keep him included. Keith found soon that he really wouldn’t mind being around the group more often.

Later when the lecture was over, they all parted ways; going to their different departments. Keith and Lance had to go the same direction for part of the way, and before they parted, they shared another quick kiss. Keith watched Lance walk away before continuing on. Keith wondered if he would have to spend lunch alone.

Several times, fellow students stopped him to compliment on his new beanie. Each time, he told them: “Thanks, my boyfriend made it for me.” It made his chest and stomach feel warm and fuzzy. He focused on his lecture, both so he didn’t have to _think_ and because of upcoming exams.

He got a text from Lance asking if he’d like to join for lunch—apparently, Hunk had brought a lot of food from his culinary classes for them all. Keith said yes and Lance told him the time and place. Keith was looking forward to it.

The others were already there by the time he reached the meeting place. Hunk greeted him warmly from where he was setting out the food containers, Pidge waved (already starting to stuff her face) and Lance jumped up to hug him. Keith hugged back, holding Lance’s waist. They all sat down and tucked in. The conversation was about anything from the newest episode of a show to ranting about assignments. Hunk’s cooking was excellent, as it turned out. No wonder that his family was asked to be in charge of providing for Shiro and Matt’s wedding. Keith was happy to see that Lance, too, was eating a normal amount, unlike the last few times.

They hung out until they one by one had to part again. Keith and Lance were the last two left. They walked to grab a coffee, though they couldn’t sit down to drink it together (still, Keith wanted to pay for both of them). Keith had two more lectures, and Lance had to head to the art studio.

They shared another kiss, and like earlier, Keith watched Lance leave before heading off himself. Keith took a deep breath as he started on his way. He bit his lip.

Maybe he was in too deep _._

 

~~~~

 

Lance was in high spirits when he arrived at the studio. He already loved being there on a regular day. Today would be even better—he had just spent time with his friends and his boyfriend. Keith was becoming part of his friend group. And he looked so great wearing the beanie. Of course, Keith always looked hot. But knowing that Keith liked the beanie Lance had made for him, that he had put it on right away … it filled Lance with pleasant, giddy warmth.

Everyone was working with watercolor today. It was nice and relaxing. He could lose himself in the task of painting and still let his mind wander freely. Everyone passing by his table commented on how “dreamy” his work looked and some even jokingly asked if he was in love. Lance just smiled mysteriously and replied: “Maybe.”

When class was done in the evening, Lance left together with Nyma. They were going to go to the dorm kitchen together, probably being joined by Rolo. It was something they sometimes did, hanging out while making dinner. The two were fun to be around, and Lance had known them for a while.

Usually, there was some gossip and talk about parties and stuff like that. That night was no different. “Hey, Lance,” Rolo said sometime after he had joined them. “Wanna come to the party this weekend? There’s probably gonna be some cute girls and hot guys for you.”

“Thanks for the offer, but that’s when the wedding is. And besides, you should know that I don’t have a need for that,” Lance said while stirring his noodles absentmindedly.

“You sure about that? I heard Keith got a boyfriend now.”

Lance nearly burst out laughing. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at Rolo. “Yeah, and?”

“He seems to be pretty happy from what people say,” Rolo continued.

“I know.”

“How do you know?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Lance shrugged in mock cluelessness. “Maybe because I happen to be his boyfriend?”

Rolo and Nyma both stared at him. “No way,” Rolo said. “You can’t just keep that kind of information away from us like that.”

“So that’s what was up with your mysterious act earlier,” Nyma observed. “Spill the beans, we wanna know everything.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine. So Friday was my sleepover with Allura and Pidge at Pidge’s place, right? Keith obviously was there too, and he asked me out on Saturday at like 8 in the morning when we had coffee in the kitchen. I said yes. We kissed a lot, and I made matching beanies for us. We kissed some more today. We’re very happy, and that’s all there is to say on the matter.”

“Wow, congrats,” Nyma said. “That’s ridiculous, though. At 8 in the kitchen? Really?”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s ridiculous but he’s so cool and great and ugh.” Lance waved his hands around aimlessly. “On Saturday, we all went for breakfast together and I ordered just a waffle, and can you guess what he did when we got our orders? He frowned at my plate and then he gave me some of his own food and even asked if he had to feed me! I think I nearly died, and then we held hands under the table the whole time. And he offers me his jacket when I’m cold and kissing him is really, _really_ nice and … he’s smiling at me, and he looks so handsome when smiling and especially when he smiles _at me_ I feel really weak in the knees because like, the way he looks at me it’s like I’m the only thing that matters? He gives me compliments too.” As an afterthought, he added: “And there’s also that he’s really hot.”

“Jeez, you really got it bad.” Rolo laughed. “It’s good to see you happy like that now, though.”

“I can’t believe our little Lance is growing up now,” Nyma faked a sob and then went to pinch his cheeks.

“What the heck Nyma, you’re not _that_ much older than me!” Lance whined. That only made the girl pinch his cheeks even more.

This would have gone on for longer if Rolo hadn’t reminded them that they were cooking dinner. They returned their focus to the task at hand before they end up burning the food. Once the cooking was done, they stayed a while longer to eat together. Finally, after putting their leftovers in containers and cleaning up, they left for their respective rooms.

Lance had to finish up some homework, but he also really wanted to talk with Keith, next to the usual late-night meme sharing with Pidge. He would have to either divide his focus or finish first and then talk before bedtime. It was a hard decision; eventually, though, he reluctantly focused on the work first. At least, he thought, the next day his first class was together with Keith again. Even if they would have to continue sitting apart from each other, that alone was enough for Lance.

He was on cloud nine, cut him some slack.

Though he also ended up making some tweets in an obviously smitten tone (admittedly, some were with silly reaction pictures too) before he got started. While he was working, his phone blew up with a bunch of notifications from his friends. He had to hold himself back from checking right away to focus on work.

When he was done, he figured he should already do his nightly skincare routine as well as prepare for bed and get comfortable before he’d check the notifications and text with Keith. When he got comfortable under his duvet and nestling against his pillows, hugging his beloved plush lion, he picked up his phone. First, he checked the notifications for twitter and liked or reacted to replies and mentions. Next, he checked his texts from Pidge and responded to each meme accordingly.

Finally, he opened the notification he got from Keith. Turns out that Keith had sent a picture: he was at the front with a frown and pout; behind him was Shiro, grinning and … wearing the beanie Lance had made for Keith. Lance giggled at Keith’s expression and saved the picture to his files.

 **Keith:** shiro stole my beanie :/  
**Lance:** did he give it back??  
**Keith:** I had to threaten him but yes

Before Lance could comment on that, there was a new picture incoming; Keith with his normal resting grumpy-face, sitting on what Lance assumed was his bed, with posters of bands and space in the background. He was wearing his black v-neck t-shirt and, most importantly, the beanie, and he was giving a thumbs up.

 **Keith:** there it is  
**Lance:** good. you look great  <3  
**Keith:** so you’ve said earlier  
**Lance:** what, am I not allowed to say it again? :/  
**Keith:** didn’t say that  
**Lance:** :/  
**Keith:** ...are you actually pouting rn?  
**Lance:** ...no?  
**Keith:** sounds fake but okay  
**Lance:** I can’t believe I’m being bullied by my own boyfriend!  
**Keith:** aww come on I'm just joking  
**Keith:** and btw, you look cute when you’re pouting  
**Lance:** gsfhsdfjgfj  
**Keith:** what, am I not allowed to give you compliments?  
**Lance:** of course but  
**Lance:** I’m just  
**Keith:** :?  
**Lance:** I’m kind of not good at accepting them u_u  
**Keith:** oh  
**Keith:** does it make you uncomfortable?  
**Lance:** no no  
**Lance:** just… I'm not good at knowing how to handle them?  
**Keith:** ...ah. so that keysmash is like blushing and getting all flustered via text?  
**Keith:** like when we were having lunch at the mall?

Lance indeed did feel his face heat up at the compliment, and his chest feeling nice and warm. Especially at that last text. Did Keith notice little things like that a lot and then remembered about them? Did he also remember what he did back on their first date when he removed the cream cheese frosting from Lance’s nose?

 **Lance:** yeah… I guess. I’m blushing right now  >.<  
**Keith:** …  
**Keith:** you’re cute  
**Lance:** KEEEEIIIIIIIIIIITH :C  
**Keith:** sorry but you made it too easy I had to  
**Lance:** you have to kiss me in the morning to make up for this  
**Keith:** alright I can do that  
**Lance:** you better  
**Keith:** don’t worry I will  
**Lance:** :D  <3

He really wanted to keep talking and surfing around his social media, but Lance also knew he needed to catch his beauty sleep. Thinking for a second, he opened the camera app on his phone, switched to front camera and took a selfie: winking and blowing a kiss at the camera. He sent it to Keith.

 **Lance:** I need my beauty sleep, so have a good night kiss  <3  
**Keith:** okay. I hope you sleep well  
**Lance:** you too, Keith  <3  
**Keith:** see you in the morning  
**Keith:** <3  
**Lance:** <3 <3

Putting his phone on the nightstand and turning off the bedside lamp, he snuggled further into the pillow and closed his eyes. He drifted off to sleep with a happy smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After I started writing this chapter earlier this week, I also [attempted a little doodle](https://crystalklances.tumblr.com/post/158354546017/chapter-7-of-dont-challenge-love-aka-another) to help me see things better :"D I'm not as confident in my art as in my writing, but I guess I'll put it here anyway.
> 
> I haven't started the next chapter yet and in SiF there's an event with my best girl Honoka aka I have to aim for the top but we'll see if I can get my brain to cooperate for writing too


	8. Game Over?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A realization happens - and a confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for taking so long to update again. First some minor health problems happened, then I got caught in a block again and focused on some of my other projects like the klance big bang, at some point I finally moved into a new place, was still blocked, and in between, I also planned to join some other future projects (like the supernova bang even though I struggle with high word counts and planning lol) and joined another klance big bang. Somewhere in between I also deleted my pokego AU because I wasn't satisfied with the way I had started it 9 months ago, so I started re-writing it.  
> Aaaaand I also got accepted into a zine exclusively for ficwriters, though I'm not writing Klance for that one, for a change, which is new territory ... and another thing I should focus on because the second WIP deadline is soon, ahaha. Curse my jumping focus.
> 
> But, anyway, yesterday I got a burst of inspiration+motivation thanks to a discord group and a writing sprint and was finally able to finish this, after over two months. I hope you enjoy!

The remaining week flew by. Everyone around Keith was filled with anticipation, though it was mostly excitement. Keith himself, however, was anxious.

This was it, the whole reason why he was with Lance.

But whenever he spent time with Lance—be it alone or with friends around—and whenever they texted; even when he just _thought_ about Lance… something was coiling up in his stomach. He had never thought the whole thing out this far, though he figured he would probably have ditched Lance after it was all over.

But now, he wasn’t so sure about things anymore.

Really a great mess he got himself in, he thought to himself.

The thought of just ditching Lance made him feel a little sick, now. But he also still didn’t know what exactly it was that he was feeling. What Keith did know was that he felt happy and warm when he was with Lance or talking to him or just thinking about him. He would have asked Shiro what it all meant, but that would kind of give him away. Same went for Matt or anyone else. Pidge, especially, was out of the question.

So instead, Keith tried googling the issue. The result? Various forums and other pages declaring: “You are in love.”

Was that what it was, though? Was he in love with Lance? Or were all those symptoms just a side effect of who Lance was? He had to figure it all out before something happened, but there was no time left.

It was Friday afternoon again. Keith was pacing around his room, trying to make it presentable as well as to distract himself from thinking about the issue at hand. Colleen had suggested for Keith to invite Lance to stay over so he wouldn’t have to make his way to the wedding on his own from the dorms.

Of course this had happened at the dinner table, so everyone present agreed what a great idea this was. Keith had no way to say no; though truth be told, he didn’t really think he would have wanted to say no, anyway.

Unlike all the previous times, including the past week, Lance would stay in Keith’s room.

So here he was now, having to make sure his room would be okay. He would have been nervous about that even if Pidge hadn’t cornered him to tell him he absolutely _had to_ clean up his room for Lance. Keith couldn’t remember ever having a guest stay over; it was yet another thing to add to the list of new experiences connected to Lance.

Keith had just finished disposing of his collected empty drink bottles and cans along with food containers when the door rang. Keith was glad that that had been the last step for his room because he was sure that it was Lance.

And sure enough, when Colleen went to open the front door, Keith could hear her greet Lance. Keith smiled when he heard Lance’s voice greet her in return, but he quickly composed himself again.

Lance was chatting with Colleen as he followed her back into the living space. When he spotted Keith, he beamed.

“Hey,” Keith greeted. “Want to bring your stuff to my room right away?”

“Sure!”

Keith waited as Lance finished his conversation with Colleen so they could walk upstairs together. In a moment without thinking, he snatched Lance’s bag to carry it for him while Lance was still talking. If anyone thought it weird, they didn’t comment on it. Keith noticed the shy smile Lance glanced at him, though.

They left when Colleen started to cook dinner. Keith led the way to his room. He opened the door, letting Lance step in first before entering, himself, and closed the door again. Suddenly, he was anxious that he had done bad job, like forgetting a corner or not putting all the clothes away, be it into dressers or the laundry basket.

As for Lance, he was taking a look around the room as he had barely seen it ever since it had become Keith’s bedroom. There were many shelves filled with all kinds of things like CDs, DVDs, video games; comics and art books, some figurines and other trinkets here and there. Lance had never thought Keith to be someone to collect merchandise for shows and games, yet here he found proof of the opposite. Lance was able to recognize extras from limited editions, and several things he knew at least from seeing it around. This extended to the posters, a mix of music, fandom, and other things like space and mythology, as well. The desk was stacked with notes and some magazines next to Keith’s computer. There was a nearly full laundry basket in the corner and a stereo with large speakers on one of the dressers. On the nightstand, he saw an e-book reader, large headphones and … a knife? Lance’s brows furrowed for a split-second before his eyes moved back to the walls. He was a little surprised that Keith had kept the wallpaper in the same soft blue that Lance had known it to be forever ago, when the room was just a spare room he used to play in with Pidge. The curtains, however, were now a dark red, as were the bed sheets.

Keith moved over to the bed, putting Lance’s bag down on the floor next to it. He shuffled his feet nervously as he watched Lance look around the room. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh, yeah, this is my room,” he said lamely.

Lance turned to face him, smiling. “It’s nice,” he said.

“Thanks.”

Keith nearly breathed out a sigh of relief that Lance at least didn’t seem to show any signs of being bothered by anything in the room. Hopefully, this meant that he had done a good enough job. He also hoped that Pidge, who was one of the few people who would barge into his room uninvited sometimes, hadn’t told Lance just how bad his room could be. The idea was a bit embarrassing and annoying at the same time. Even though he knew that Pidge’s room was just as bad, and Lance was with her all the time.

“What’s with the knife, though?” Lance asked.

“Oh, that’s an heirloom,” Keith replied with a shrug. He took a seat on his bed and looked down at the knife. He polished it regularly, so the blade reflected the light coming in from the window. “At least, it’s the only thing I have left from my mom.”

“Oh.”

“I barely remember her at all because she left when I was really small. Nor my dad for that matter.” Keith shrugged again. “I’ve been with Shiro’s family as a kid. Well, until his parents died. You know the rest.”

Lance was still standing in the middle of the room, fidgeting.

Keith watched Lance fidget and couldn’t help the chuckle from escaping. “You can join me on the bed, you know. There’s no need to keep standing around. I won’t bite, either,” he teased. He had no idea why he said that last part… and why he suddenly had the thought of what if he _did_ bite Lance. He shook that thought away.

“O-of course, I know that!” Lance fidgeted more, flustered now. Nevertheless, he walked over and flopped down next to Keith with a huff. He ended up sprawled on his back with his legs hanging down.

Keith laughed at the display. Lance’s pout soon morphed back into a smile.

“Hey, Keith,” Lance said. “can I have a kiss?”

For just a second, Keith pretended to think. He bent down to hover over Lance. “Well, since you ask me nicely like that,” he said. “And just because it’s you.“

One of Lance’s hands tangled in Keith’s hair while they kissed. Keith didn’t realize that he was holding Lance’s other hand with one of his own, on the sheets next to Lance’s head. They were on the road to getting more heated, and Keith suddenly became aware. He stopped himself and pulled back before it could go any further. As much as he loved kissing Lance, he didn’t need to get aroused now.

Lance’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at Keith, a little dazedly. Keith tried to will his heart to stop running a marathon in his chest at the sight, and from the sensations of the kiss. Needless to say, he didn’t succeed. Lance really wasn’t good for his health. Not that he actually wanted that to stop.

Keith coughed. “Uh, so what do you wanna do before dinner’s ready?”

Lance hummed in thought. “I don’t mind just hanging out,” he said. He sat up in a fluid motion, drawing his legs up to sit tailor-fashion. Pointing at the stereo on the opposite side of the room, he asked: “Is that a real, actual stereo?”

“Of course,” Keith replied. “Why wouldn’t it be? Do you take me for a faker?” His tone was feigning offense.

“Hmm, I’m not sure I’m convinced.” Lance grinned, playing along to tease more, as well. “How about you prove it?”

“Alright, but only because it’s you.”

Keith stood and walked over to turn on the stereo and press play. He didn’t recall for sure which CD he had listened to last but turned out it was _Blurryface_ by _twenty one pilots_. He smiled at the familiar sound and turned to walk back to the bed. He was greeted with the sight of Lance nodding along to the beat and, eventually, mouthing the lyrics. Keith raised an eyebrow at him as he sat back down next to him. “You never told me you listen to them, too.”

Lance shrugged and smiled apologetically. “I guess it never came up.”

“What’s your favorite, then?”

“Hmmm. _Objectively_ , Blurryface is the best album, but my favorites are Vessel and Regional At Best.”

“I guess those have some great songs, but Blurryface is just the best,” Keith said.

Lance shrugged once more. “I love them all. I guess I just connect to the songs on Vessel and Regional At Best more.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

They sat back, just enjoying the music. They both ended up singing along, Lance including mimicking a microphone with his hand and wiggle-dancing in his seat. Keith had to laugh and smiled fondly. When Lance turned his head and caught him watching, Lance gave a shy grin but continued on.

When _Tear In My Heart_ was on, Keith suddenly stopped singing.

_“But my taste in music is your face.”_

He stared at Lance’s content face as he was singing along to the music. Keith was hit with the realization that the entire song made him think of Lance. He didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing, considering all his confusing thoughts from before. And yet, watching Lance enjoying himself, singing along to some of Keith’s favorite music, filled Keith with such warmth he didn’t think was possible.

By the time they were called downstairs for dinner, they had started another album. Dinner seemed especially lively that night, just through Lance’s presence alone. He laughed and chatted with everyone. Keith could barely take his eyes away to focus on his meal. Pidge was side-eying him the whole time.

After dinner, everyone sat together in the living room to play board games. Unlike the previous week when Allura was there, there were no rotating teams, so both Keith and Lance let their competitive side show. It was fun.

Keith played harder than he would otherwise because he didn't want to lose. But Lance was persistent and would never give up, so he was always right behind Keith. Keith barely even paid attention to any of the others—what was important to him was the ‘competition’ with Lance and the fact that no matter how much he loved Lance, he really wanted to win.

Loved.

Lance.

He just admitted it to himself. It nearly threw him off so much that he would've lost momentum in the game. He loved Lance. The sites google had given him had been right. He wasn't sick nor did he have allergies or anything like that. He was in love. God. He really was in love with Lance. What was he supposed to do about that?

In the end, the game was won by Colleen, who was not to be underestimated just because she was a caring mother. But Keith was just a few points ahead of Lance, and that's what mattered.

Lance had his arms crossed and stared down at the board with a pout. “You can't be ahead forever,” he said with a huff, now looking at Keith. “I'll pass you one of these days, just you wait.”

“I'd like to see you try,” Keith said. “Because the more you try, the more I try, too.”

“And that's why we're rivals,” Lance said with a nod. “Lance and Keith, neck and neck.”

“How can you be both boyfriends and rivals?” Pidge asked.

Lance rolled his eyes at her. “We just are! We've always been. Just because we're dating now doesn't mean we aren't still rivals.”

Had always been. Had Lance seen him as a rival the entire time? Keith wondered. He really wanted to know now what Lance had thought about him all this time, while Keith had shut himself away. What if he had tried to be friends before, and Keith hadn’t noticed it? Keith wasn't sure what to do with this thought.

They played another round. This time, Keith and Lance both won—with a tied score. Lance cocked his eyebrows at Keith as if to say: “See? I nearly got you this time.”

Keith couldn't help but smile—and then lean over to kiss him on the lips. Just a brief kiss—after all, the entire family was there—but it was enough for him at that moment. Lance smiled at him when he pulled back again.

Pidge made noises of mock-disgust. “Ew, get a room.”

“Now, now, Katie. Don't be mean to the young lovebirds,” Samuel said with a chuckle.

“They're gonna give me cavities if they keep up like that, that's what they're doing,” Pidge said. “Either they have to take responsibility, or leave the room.”

Lance snorted. “Pidge, please, you already get cavities without Keith and me.” He smirked at her. “With all that sugary stuff you eat, especially when Hunk supplies it for you.”

“Hey!” Pidge complained. “It's not my fault that Hunk makes the best stuff!”

“Yeah, but he makes extra sweet stuff for you filled with extra love.”

“You're just jealous that I'm Hunk's favorite, next to Allura.”

“I don't need to be Hunk's favorite when I'm Keith's favorite.”

“Who says that you're my favorite?” Keith threw in, tone teasing.

Lance feigned being stabbed. “Et tu, Keith?” he whined. “I'm your boyfriend, and you betray me like that?”

“Aw, come on. There, let me kiss it better.” And Keith didn't wait for a reply, but just leaned in for another brief kiss.

“... and this is precisely why you two need to get a room,” Pidge commented in conclusion.

Sam and Colleen laughed at their antics.

Sometime after, Keith and Lance went back to Keith's room to hang out some more before they went to sleep. When it came time to getting changed, Lance seemed to hesitate. Keith was ready to strip down, not caring about being seen and he wouldn’t have cared if Lance did the same. But he recognized that the situation might be uncomfortable to Lance. With that in mind, Keith offered: “You can take the bathroom first.”

Lance nodded gratefully, and Keith watched as he took out a toiletries bag and his pajamas before heading out of the room. Keith spotted that the fabric was sky blue with white stars.

After the door was closed behind Lance, Keith stripped out of his clothes. Often, he would sleep in just his boxers and a t-shirt, but he reconsidered. Maybe it was proper etiquette to wear more than just his underwear when his boyfriend was wearing pajamas. In the end, he grabbed some sweatpants to put on along with an old t-shirt. Maybe he should invest in proper pajamas again at some point, he thought.

When Lance came back from the bathroom, Keith couldn’t help but think how adorable he was. As they passed while Keith headed to the bathroom to get ready himself, he pressed a quick kiss to Lance’s lips before he could stop himself. Keith got ready a lot faster than he usually would.

Finally, they slipped under the covers, and Keith’s heart beat faster. He wasn’t quite sure what to do in this situation. Keith was lying on his back, while Lance was on the side by the wall, facing him. Lance was slightly curled up, visible through the blanket and his legs touching Keith’s, but it didn’t bother Keith; on the contrary, he enjoyed the contact.

He turned his head so he could see Lance’s face.

Lance was looking up at him, sleepiness visible in his eyes. He raised one of his hands and curled a strand of Keith’s hair around his finger. “Your hair is softer than it looks,“ he mumbled. “I‘ve always wanted to know what it feels like. I’m really happy I got to find out now.“

“I’m sure it’s not anywhere near as soft as your skin,“ Keith said. It was the first thing that came to mind, and, well, it was true—Lance’s skin was the softest thing Keith could think of. He wanted to touch it again, so he reached out one of his own hands to touch Lance’s cheek.

Lance smiled. “‘s because I take great care of my skin,“ he mumbled. He sighed when Keith started rubbing slow circles with his thumb. “I’m excited for tomorrow. I spent forever putting together my outfit.“

Keith smiled. “I’m sure you’ll look fantastic.“

He was looking forward to what Lance would be wearing. Would it be a suit? A more casual option with a cardigan or sweater vest? White and light shades of blue, or darker shades instead? Keith knew that Lance had all of these options in his wardrobe, and they always suited him so well.

“I bet not as hot as you, though. You always look so hot.“

“Nonsense, you look far better. You’re really damn beautiful, and cute to boot.” Keith frowned a little. “And besides, I’m not as fashionable as you. Actually, I didn’t even pick my own suit, just what colors I want to wear.“

Lance laughed softly. “I bet it’s red and black.“

“I mean, you’re not wrong.“

“Those colors really suit you.“

“Thanks.“

“Mmm … I guess it’s time to sleep, I need my beauty sleep for tomorrow, and energy too.“

“I don’t know how you could get even more beautiful, but you’re right, we should sleep.“

“G’night, Keith.“

“Night, Lance. Sweet dreams.“

Keith hesitated, then wrapped his arm around Lance, hand resting on his waist. Lance nestled closer against him, head more resting on Keith’s shoulder than on the pillow. They shared a slow kiss before finally laying for rest. Keith didn’t want to stop, but they _had_ already said goodnight, and he knew it was for the better.

He fell asleep peacefully, feeling warm in a pleasant way with Lance curled up against his side.

 

***

 

The next day started out hectic. Everyone was in various states of nervous, stressed, and excited. There were last-minute arrangements, getting dressed and ready, getting to the location, greeting friends and relatives.

Keith hoped that if he ever married, the event would be far less stressful than this. Preferably something small, with just their closest family and friends. His mind wandered to the image of Lance in a pristine white suit, wearing a subtle veil and holding a large bouquet. He had to shake the thought away.

Instead, he focused on the sight of Lance right here in the presence.

It turned out that Lance was wearing beige dress pants and a white dress shirt combined with a sky blue vest. The fabric of the vest seemed to have threads of gold woven in, and the buttons were gold, as well, giving him an air of nobility. He was wearing a bowtie made of silky sky blue material to match the vest. His shoes were matching in color to the pants. His hair was gelled back, with just a single curl persistently falling back into his forehead.

He looked absolutely stunning.

Keith, meanwhile, was wearing a regular black suit with a dark red dress shirt, black shoes, and black tie. His hair was gelled back as well as tied into a ponytail. It was actually Lance who had taken care of his hair—Keith was amazed by how expertly he did it.

Keith was by no means bad looking, but he felt like nothing could compare to Lance. That’s how it was supposed to be, Keith thought. He didn’t even need to be good-looking nor did he need attention; what mattered was that Lance was beautiful. Lance should have all the attention and praise because he deserved it out of anyone in the world. And if no one else were to give Lance the attention and praise, then Keith would have to try his best to do it, even more so.

The event itself was uneventful.

Matt and Shiro had both decided to wear black and white—and both of them had a smaller bouquet which they both later tossed.

Allura was the one to catch the first bouquet. As for the second bouquet … it was caught by Lance.

This really did not help Keith with those mental images he had had earlier, of Lance as a ‘bride.’ Of course, neither of them would be a ‘bride,’ but Keith's mental image of Lance most resembled that of a typical bride.

Besides, Keith would be more likely to wear black. He wouldn't be caught dead wearing all white. On a similar note, it was already a fight for him to still get to wear some kind of gloves for Shiro and Matt's wedding. Not his fingerless, biker style gloves, but just regular black leather gloves, at least.

Lance seemed to have no problems with that when they held hands, so that was all the approval needed, in Keith's book.

The celebration was lively.

The buffet provided by Hunk’s family was fantastic, and the wedding cake was amazing both in looks and taste. The music, performed by a local band, wasn’t bad either, in Keith’s opinion. Those guys and girls could go places. He even thought he had seen some of them around college, before, but that might just’ve been his imagination.

Everyone watched as the happy, newly-wed couple danced their first dance. Eventually, other couples joined in.

Keith and Lance watched as Hunk, Pidge, and Allura all took turns dancing together, the girls dancing silly when they weren’t in a slow dance or being spun around and lifted by Hunk, their skirts swirling with the movement.

Keith could feel Lance side glancing at him, and he grew nervous, once again. Did Lance want to dance? Should Keith ask him to dance? Keith only knew how to lead, would Lance be okay with that? What if Keith messed up?

He took a breath and shook those worries away. He had to do it.

“Wanna dance, too?” he asked—and immediately cringed at himself. This wasn’t how you’re supposed to ask someone to dance, jeez.

But, thankfully, Lance wasn’t fazed by the awkward display. On the contrary, he giggled and smiled. “I’d love to!” he replied and took Keith’s offered hand.

Keith led him on the dance floor, and they started to dance, easily fitting into the rhythm. Keith found that he really enjoyed dancing with Lance. He loved holding his hand, and he still especially loved holding Lance’s waist. He discovered that he also really loved dipping Lance, and spinning him around, and just … everything.

He loved the joy and the sunshine Lance radiated, even now smiling brightly at Keith as they gazed into each other’s faces while dancing. Keith had to smile too; it was just impossible not to.

He never wanted this to end. He wanted to keep dating Lance, for real. Keith wanted to tell him, say those three words that he didn’t think he would actually feel. But, most of all, he wanted to make Lance happy. He hated himself for just the _thought_ of ever hurting Lance.

How did he not realize sooner? Why did it take a stupid bet that wasn’t even an actual bet, to begin with, to figure out that he had been interested in Lance all along? Keith really was a massive idiot. Lance was never supposed to find out. No one was ever supposed to know, but Lance especially.

To Keith’s great misfortune, that was not what would happen.

At some point, when the evening was there, and the party was still going strong, Keith was cornered in the hallway by Pidge after he just returned from the bathroom.

Pidge’s expression was grim. It sent an uneasy chill down Keith’s spine.

“What’s up, Pidge?” he asked.

Pidge regarded him for another five seconds, give or take. “There’s something that’s bothered me this whole time,” she started, carefully considering her words.

“Shoot, then. Go on.”

“How do you feel about Lance?” Pidge finally asked.

“What?”

“You heard me,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “I’m not stupid, Keith. You’re playing some kind of game, aren’t you?”

Keith didn’t know what to do or say. He was terrible at lying, especially when put on the spot like that. Helplessly, stumbling over his words, he replied: “No, I’m not—I’m just—“

Pidge cut him short. “You’re oblivious a lot of the time, and you never paid Lance any mind all these years. Do you really think I’d believe that you suddenly, out of nowhere, are interested in him? Right before the wedding?”

Keith opened and closed his mouth, trying to get any words out, his mind going blank.

Pidge’s expression changed, seriousness making way for sadness and disappointment. “So it’s true, then?”

“Yes,” Keith said and not even a second after: “No.”

Pidge groaned, frustrated. “Which is it?!”

 

In the main room, meanwhile, Lance was standing by the buffet, looking around, waiting for Keith. He was starting to grow nervous. He couldn’t see Pidge around, either, now that he thought about it. Frowning, he made his way out into the hallways.

He didn’t have to walk for long until he heard the two. He frowned more. From their voices, it sounded like a confrontation. He stepped closer to the corner.

 

Keith took a deep breath and let it out again before he finally answered. He had to tell her the truth, the whole truth. “I was annoyed because everyone always pestered me with questions,” he began. “So I just … said that I’m interested in someone. But then you came in and—I don’t know. I didn’t _think,_ BUT I felt challenged, and so I asked him out … but that doesn’t mean—“

 

It was at that moment that Lance reached the corner and could hear their conversation clearly. He froze. Of course. Of course, it was too good to be true this whole time. How could Lance have been so stupid?

He should probably let the conversation finish, instead of running away, let alone barge in for a confrontation.

And yet, he rounded the corner. Both Keith and Pidge turned to look at him—Keith like a deer caught in the head lights, Pidge with a hard to decipher flurry of emotions on her face.

Lance stared at Keith. At that moment, Lance didn’t try to mask his face.

“Is that true?” he asked. “You just pretended to like me? All this time, it was just a game?”

“No—I’m—I didn’t—not—“

Lance smiled a forced, sad smile. Already, he could feel the tears at the corner of his eyes.

“Save yourself the trouble, Keith. It’s okay. It’s my own fault for being so stupid. I mean…” He let out a hollow laugh. “How could I seriously think that there’s a chance that you would ever like me back? I’m just not that lucky.”

And before either of them could say anything, Lance turned and ran. The tears were running down his cheeks now. He just wanted to go home and forget about those past three weeks. He wanted to forget about Keith. He wished his heart didn’t feel so broken.

 

“Fuck!” Keith punched the wall.

Next to him, Pidge was ready to blow at him, but she stopped when she saw the hurt in Keith’s eyes. That didn’t mean though that she should have to go entirely easy on him, though. “You fucked up,” she stated.

“I know!” Keith cried out. “God, I know! I fucked up, and I didn’t even get a chance to finish and tell him!”

“Tell him what?” Pidge demanded.

“That I did like him the whole time! I’m just—I was just too stupid to _see_ it until last night!”

Pidge sighed. It was no use being even angrier now. She had to get her cool back and try for damage control.

“You’re a mess right now,” she said. “You better think of a way to fix it. I might help you. But for now, I have to make sure Lance is alright. He’s been my best friend since forever, after all.” With that, she left.

 

Keith stared at her go, feeling lost.

This really was the worst mess he’d ever found himself in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I told you it was coming, didn't I?  
> But, again, don't worry, my friends. The angst won't take too long because I can't do it lol Soft Klance(TM) is my brand, after all.
> 
> I can't promise though how soon or late the next chapter will happen, ahaha. I'm sorry. I will try my best, though.


	9. Try again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hearts are aching, Keith is trying, siblings are bonding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 Months after posting a compromise-ending, my positive flow for this fic is back! I'm really happy I can now write the extended ending + maybe a smutty epilog.  
> The first part was mostly kept from the "fake ending" as I have dubbed it, because it was a good start and I can branch off from there. So if you're an old reader, this might be why it's still familiar in parts.
> 
> I also did a big editing spree on the first 8 chapteres, making some things smoother and making something official that was previously just in my head. There are also now random chapter titles just for the heck of it ahaha

Keith felt absolutely awful. He spent all of Sunday avoiding the family out of shame, all while also trying to contact Lance. Lance didn't reply to any of his texts. Keith really couldn't blame him, in the end. He figured he might not have reacted differently if their places had been reversed. Still ... he wished he could explain to Lance. Keith wished he had told him how he felt right away. He wished he hadn't been so blind and figured it out before it all even started.

Not even listening to _twenty one pilots_ nor playing SiF helped him distract himself now; they reminded him too much of Lance. God, Keith missed Lance. He missed his face, his usually cute or vintage clothes, his voice, his smile. Keith closed his eyes, remembering how it had felt to dance with him, to kiss him, to just be with him …

It hurt, knowing that he might have fucked up for good.

Would he be able to talk to Lance when it was time for class or would Lance keep ignoring him? Then again, it was time for Christmas break soon, with their last assignments due and exams happening. There probably would not be enough time to talk, anyway. Keith had no idea what to do. He wanted to apologize so badly. Part of him wanted to ask Pidge about how Lance was doing, but he figured that was probably not such a good idea. Pidge was also still mad at him, even if she had sympathized at the end when Keith was able to tell _her_ , at least. But he hoped that she could help him figure out what to do.

Keith would do anything, he decided. Lance was worth anything and everything to him, even if he would have to do something embarrassing and kitschy like in all those movies. He just wanted to try to fix things, and hopefully get another chance to romance Lance, to truly be boyfriends, no questions asked. He couldn't remember wanting anything else so badly before in his life.

Eventually, he tried to distract himself by focusing on school work while blasting the _Fire Emblem: Awakening_ OST. That was something he enjoyed but hadn’t talked about with Lance before, and it provided a good mood for studying, especially all the powerful themes that are played on battle maps, most of all towards the endgame of the plot. Then, of course, there was Id (Purpose), _the_ ultimate music.

He was almost able to distract himself from his problems while getting a good chunk of work and studying done until there was a knock on the door. He paused the music.

“Keith? Can I come in?” Pidge’s voice sounded from the other side of the door.

Keith was surprised, but he answered: “Sure, come in.”

He turned in his desk chair to face the door. Pidge walked in and made herself comfortable on the bed, like she had always done when hanging out in the rooms of either him or Matt when they were younger. Keith stayed in his desk chair.

For a moment, they just looked at each other in silence. Finally, Pidge spoke up: “Did you hear any word from Lance?”

Keith shook his head. “He’s not replying to any of my texts. I don’t know what to do. I just—I just want to tell him.”

Pidge nodded slowly. “He’s hurting. He needs some time to just hurt before he can listen to you.”

“So you mean I should give him space?” Keith asked. “For how long? Do I wait until he approaches me first? What if he never does?”

“I don’t know,” Pidge said. “You know I’m not the best with these things, either. That’s Lance’s expertise.”

“Too bad we can’t ask him now.”

“Just so we’re clear, I’m still a bit mad at you,” Pidge continued. “But I want both of you to be happy, so I’ll help in any way I can. Lance has liked you for a long time, you know. And if you _really_ like him too … then you still have a chance.”

“God, I hope so.” Keith bit his bottom lip. “I want to apologize. If he doesn’t want to start over, I understand. But I really want to show him that I really mean it this time.”

Pidge gave him an encouraging smile, though it looked a bit strained. “We’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah. We’ll figure it out.”

Keith watched as she left the room again. He sighed and turned back to face his desk. His phone, as expected, continued to be silent. He sighed again. He would have to stop and try giving Lance space, for now. He should go back to his school work or do some reading or play something to keep his mind occupied and not start overthinking again.

 

~~~~

 

Lance was lying on his bed, curled up on the side, hugging his huge blue lion pillow pet. He was listening to _Marina and The Diamonds_ , currently the album _Electra Heart_. The music was great, and listening to music about heartbreak and breaking other people’s hearts helped when he felt heartbroken himself. He knew he should be doing work, but for the moment, he didn’t want to deal with anything.

He had his phone on silent, but the lights were blinking from where it was next to his pillow. He knew that Keith had been texting, but he didn’t want to check. He didn’t know why he avoided it—maybe he was a bit scared, though of what? He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to deal with any feelings right now. He didn’t even check if Pidge or anyone else had texted him.

Tomorrow he would dive into school work until Christmas break started, then spend the holidays with his family. Maybe after that, he could talk to Keith again. Perhaps it would already happen before that, Lance didn’t know. For now, he wanted to just ignore everything.

It was just a little hard when at the same time, he was wearing the beanie he had made with a matching one for Keith. He smiled sadly into the plush pillow. Looked like he was clinging to the hope of the now-uncovered illusion while ignoring what could wait for him in reality.

 

~~~~

 

The distance drove Keith crazy. Knowing that he could still be with Lance if he hadn’t been such an oblivious idiot; knowing that Lance was right there, but they couldn’t talk. Keith didn’t know how to handle this situation, and Lance seemed to need more space.

Keith was wearing the beanie Lance had made for him, because that was the only way he could think of to give Lance a sign, to show that he cared and really meant it now. Lance was still wearing the matching beanie as well—did that mean that Lance still felt for him, that there’s a way to patch things up?

In between studying, Keith tried to come up with ways to apologize. He also wished to give Lance gifts, of flowers and the plushies Lance had tried to find, independent of apologizing—but would that be a good idea? He couldn’t figure it out, and neither Pidge nor Hunk could give him a clear advice. He wound up ordering a Flareon plush online, but he still couldn’t figure it out. Maybe he’d give an anonymous gift? Place it on Lance’s seat in one of their shared classes along with flowers? Ask someone to bring it to his dorm room? Add a note to it? Keith didn’t know, and he didn’t know if making it anonymous would work, either.

He knew that Lance would go home for the holidays, so he had to decide fast if he wanted Lance to receive the gift already before he left. He had gathered that Pidge and Lance did a gift exchange, but it would be awkward to give his gift to Pidge to give it along with her own. Keith could send it as a parcel, but that would be inconvenient if he wanted to give flowers along.

In the end, Keith settled for the option of placing the wrapped plushie along with a card and a single flower—a purple hyacinth—outside of Lance’s dorm room on the last day Keith had class. If Lance reacts with a message or something, that would be nice, but if not, then Keith would continue waiting.

 

~~~~

 

Lance went back to his dorm room knowing that he still had to pack up. When he arrived, he was surprised to find something on his doorstep. He frowned, bending down to pick up the wrapped form, the purple flower, and the card from the floor, then entered his room so he could have a proper look. He sat down on his bed and decided to unwrap first. His eyes widened when opening the blue satin bow and removing the simple red wrapping paper revealed a Flareon plush. Not many people knew that he collected Eeveelution plushies. Could it be—?

Gingerly, he placed the plushie down next to him on the bed so he could look at the card. It had a cute little cat design on the front. He turned it around to see what’s written on the backside.

 

_Lance,_

_I’m truly sorry for what I did. I was blind not only to my own feelings but especially to yours. I didn’t consider at all how this whole… thing would affect you. I was an idiot and didn’t want to lose some dumb competition that was only in my head, and now I might have lost my chance with you._

_If you don’t want anything to do with me anymore, I understand, I really do. But I want to tell you how I feel if you will listen. You can see this gift as the first step for telling you, or simply as a Christmas gift between acquaintances if you don’t want to go further anymore. It’s up to you. But just know that I will be there, waiting._

_—Keith_

_PS: I know that your favorites are Vaporeon and Glaceon and that fire is your least favorite type, so I thought that would be the least likely for you to buy yourself. The fact that it’s my own favorite is just a cool side effect._

 

Lance needed a moment to process this. _But I want to tell you how I feel_ … was Keith really asking for a chance to start over? The flower, from what Lance understood, had a meaning for asking forgiveness … did Keith really mean it this time?

Should he say something in return? What should he say? He mulled it over while packing all the things he would take home for the holidays.

When he was done, he took his phone, opening his chat with Keith. He took a deep breath at the number of messages Keith had sent after it all went wrong. Most of them held a pleading tone, an air of desperation—and the word “sorry,” over and over.

Lance closed his eyes for a second or two, breathing deeply, and when he opened them again, he finally typed up a message.

 

 **Lance:** hey  
**Lance:** I received your gift and card  
**Lance:** I can’t give an answer yet but I would be willing to listen.

 

 **Keith:** okay that’s cool  
**Keith:** take all the time you need  
**Keith:** I’ll be waiting

 

Lance didn’t know how long he would need until he was ready, or how he was feeling right now. But somewhere in his heart, he still hoped there might be a chance for a happy ending.

 

~~~~

 

The holiday break was uneventful for Keith. He spent all his time at home, either sitting around in his room or hanging out playing games with Pidge. It’s strange, how this whole mess had brought them closer, in the end. Keith found it hard to believe that just a few weeks prior, he had been jealous of the close bond Pidge had with Lance because he hadn’t been that close to either of them. Now he was closer to his adopted sister, and all he needed for true happiness was being close to Lance again.

Lance and he exchanged brief holiday wishes, but no actual conversation. That was good enough for Keith, though. Knowing that Lance had accepted his gift and would talk to him again, would at least listen to Keith, was all he needed now.

The afternoon before uni started again, he was lounging on the couch playing Mario Kart with Pidge. He tried not to think back to that day he had played games with everyone, with Lance. The possibility that he might never be able to call himself Lance’s boyfriend again was still a scary shadow looming in his mind.

Part of him, however, was stubborn, refusing to believe that it would go wrong. He wanted to be back together with Lance, above all else. And if anyone tried to flirt with him again, he had half a mind to say “I have a boyfriend.” Because in his mind, he _did_. He just needed to fix things.

“Any ideas yet what you’re gonna do?” Pidge asked after a while.

“I don’t know,” Keith admitted. “I have to wait and see how things go when we meet again and hope I get to talk to him and explain. Also—I’d still like to hang out with you guys.”

“Sure,” Pidge said. “I’m sure Hunk won’t mind. We’ll have to see how Lance is dealing with it, though.”

“Yeah, of course. If it gets awkward or unbearable for him, I’ll just leave,” Keith said. Then he groaned at the game. “Fuck, did you just blueshell me?”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.” From her tone, it was evident that Pidge was grinning. “But anyway, we’ll figure it out.”

“Yeah.” Keith focused on the race for a moment before he spoke again. “I still want to give him more flowers. I want to do something sweet. Something romantic. But I can’t think of anything.”

“Maybe you need to watch more romcoms,” Pidge suggested.

“Aren’t the things there always dramatic? Like, special fireworks or messages in the sky or that kind of thing?”

“Maybe. But Lance would _love_ it.”

“So something like, I don’t know, a date in an amusement park for Valentine’s Day and a giant bouquet of flowers?”

“Sounds like it’s right up Lance’s alley. If you combine it with a special fireworks display or an airshow…”

“Except,” Keith interjected, “I have no idea how to make that kind of thing happen. And I can’t just go up and beg all like, ‘hey, I need a special show spelling _I love you, Lance, please forgive me_ , so that my boyfriend will take me back.’ Like, that would never work.”

“But _would_ you do it?”

“I guess … yeah, I guess I _would_. I would do anything.” He paused. “Well, anything within reason.”

“Yeah, stuff like the jealousy tactic would be dumb.”

“Why would I ever do that? I don’t even care about anyone else.”

“You have to tell that to _him_ , not me.”

“I know. That’s what I’m trying to do when I have the chance.”

“By the way …” Pidge paused to curse at the game. “If you _do_ patch things up and it works out, I sure hope you keep your sex life to yourself.”

Keith snorted. “Why would I _not_ keep it to myself?”

“Need I remind you that Allura and I walked in on you guys making out _right here_ on the _couch_? And you seemed oddly obsessed with kissing him, too.”

“I mean, I guess, it’s amazing and already enough to get me going.”

“Too much information!” Pidge shrieked.

“What, it’s not like I told you that I want him to—”

“Too much information!”

“Ooops. Anyway, don’t worry. If that ever happens, it’ll be behind locked doors for sure.”

“Good. I don’t need to know how thirsty my brother apparently is.”

“I’m only thirsty for Lance.”

“I still don’t need to know that.”

“You were the one who started the conversation,” Keith pointed out.

“And you’re the one who just talked without filter,” Pidge countered.

“Fine, I’ll stop talking.”

They went back to silence, focusing on the game. Keith was currently behind—and he got a fortunate item. He smirked.

Soon, there was a muffled curse. “Did you just blueshell me?”

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”

After that, Keith managed to turn the race around and win the cup. Pidge called for a rematch. One rematch returned into many more. They continued to play for the rest of the afternoon, only stopping when it came time for dinner.

That night, Keith fell asleep with a feeling of anticipation.

 

The next morning, Keith started out with a shower, then took his time picking out a good outfit. He had to make sure he looked at his best, keeping in mind everything Lance had ever commented on his clothes. The finishing touch, of course, was the beanie Lance had made for him. He wondered if Lance would wear his, as well.

He hoped that, maybe, there would still be an opportunity for him to sit next to Lance in the classes they shared this semester. As far as Keith could tell, from the new timetable, they didn’t share any on Mondays now. This would only leave lunch break as a chance for a meeting.

As always, Keith and Pidge went together, walking instead of taking the car despite the cold. When they arrived on campus and parted ways, Pidge told Keith their meeting place for lunchtime. Keith nodded, saying that he would be there. On his way to class, Keith passed by Lance. _He was wearing the beanie_. Keith tried to seek Lance’s eyes. He smiled. For just a second, Lance’s lips quirked up, but then he looked away. For Keith, that was already good enough—but he yearned to see his radiant beam again.

As much as Keith loved his chosen area, time at class was tedious. He wished he had brought more coffee, even though he had already had some at home. He thought back to his first date with Lance in the coffee shop. That was a bad idea. Even more so when one of his lectures held minerals as a topic, and all Keith could think of was how he wanted to get some of those for Lance. Maybe he could do it on a field trip, sneak away something pretty as a gift for Lance. He deserved it.

Finally, it was time for lunch. Keith made his way to the meeting place. When everyone was in sight, he hesitated. He took a breath, then slowly walked up to the group. Aside from Pidge and Lance, Hunk and Allura were there, too. Once he reached them, he softly said: “Hey.” Having caught their attention, he asked: “Is—is it okay if I join you guys?”

He tried to ignore the slight stab he felt when Lance avoided his eyes, when Allura and Hunk seemed hesitant.

Pidge, however, said: “Sure. I mean, you’re my brother, and I invited you.”

That seemed to melt the tension, at least a little. Pidge scooted over to make room for Keith. Because Lance was on her other side, there was no real chance to look at him. While Keith was glad that Pidge was in between them, like a shield of sorts for them both, he wished he could see Lance.

As Keith looked across the table when Hunk showed the containers of food he had brought to share with everyone, Keith noticed that he was only using one hand. The other was resting on the bench, fingers linked with Allura’s. Keith couldn’t help but envy them. He chanced a glance at Lance and saw that Lance was looking down at his fingers drumming on the tabletop. Keith took note of how his nails were painted black but seemed to shimmer purple in the winter sun.

Everyone started to dig in.

Lance spoke up: “I’m not really hungry, but … I guess I’ll have something.” In a mumble, he added: “Before someone threatens to feed me again.”

Of course, Keith couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward so he could look at Lance past Pidge, and throwing in: “And I still _would_ do it.”

There was an awkward silence. Keith immediately regretted his lacking impulse control. But then, Lance turned his face in Keith’s direction. His expression was hard to decipher to Keith, but he thought he could see a hint of vulnerability behind the carefully upheld mask, a sign of his previous flustered-ness. Keith held his gaze for what felt like an eternity, hoping to convey his own feelings: how sorry he was, that he _cared_. Deeply.

Eventually, they both looked away at the same time.

Pidge cleared her throat. “Time to dig in, you two.”

Keith didn’t feel so hungry himself anymore, but he knew he needed to eat, so he did. Maybe he’d hit the gym before his next lecture—working out always helped to clear his mind, and he did have a routine to do it at least nearly every day, even if it’s just a quick jog.

Eventually, the conversation started back up. Keith stayed in the background, only talking when prompted to. He realized that Lance, as well, seemed to be silent, so unlike usual. Keith hated it. He wanted to see Lance’s smile back in place, hear his laugh.

Hopefully, he would be able to make it up to him soon.

Together, they ate most of the food. But eventually, Allura was the first one to leave (Keith looked away when she gave Hunk a peck on the lips), then Hunk and Pidge.

Like what seemed so long ago now, Keith and Lance were the only ones left. They didn’t look at each other.

Keith took a breath before he said, softly: “I would invite you for coffee, but … maybe not the right time.”

Lance angled his face to look at Keith. There was a smile on his lips, but from the way his eyes shined, Keith knew that there still was pain in him. Keith wished he could snap his fingers and make it disappear. But sadly, magic wasn’t real.

“No, maybe not today … but maybe another time.” Lance’s voice was just as soft.

“Of course. There’s all the time in the world.” Keith hesitated. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah. Soon.”

Lance gave a quick wave, and as he left, his step was faster than it would have been in another situation. Keith watched him go before he finally started to go, himself.

He hoped he would be able to tell Lance, soon. But for now, he would distract himself at the gym. After that, he would get some coffee to get through the afternoon. Even if it didn’t seem to taste quite the same on his own now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst will continue a little longer.
> 
> I hope I'll see some old faces return now that the story is back. But either way, thank you for reading and for all the support so far!


	10. Is the game in hard mode now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Lance are both struggling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm here with the next chapter! Happy Birthday to Keith--on a sidenote, I already posted two fics for the occasion earlier. Check them out if you like fluff and/or smut!
> 
> A little warning just in case, there is talk of being dizzy and stuff because of missed meals. If that kind of thing makes you uncomfortable, beware in Lance's POV.

Finding his way back into the flow of class would have been enough on its own. But now, Keith also tried to show Lance that he _cared_ and was willing to fight for him, but without being too overbearing. It was hard to find a balance when he had no experience whatsoever with romance. The awkward tension between them now was a little suffocating if Keith was honest. He would have loved nothing more than to just charge ahead, but he was so scared of ruining things even more if he didn’t proceed carefully. It was like handling fragile glass art.

Maybe, he thought to himself, that was why he had always shut himself away. He had already lost a good share of people in his life. It was better to just stay away and not have any bonds, no matter how much he yearned for them, than to lose something precious.

But now, he already knew what it was like to be with Lance, to feel so happy and warm, to have someone so dear. He did not want to lose Lance for good.

In the few classes they still shared, Keith walked up to Lance, asking: “Is this seat still free?”

Each time, Lance looked up, replying: “Not anymore now that you’re here.”

And so, they now sat together in Math, English, and the next level of Art History. They didn’t talk outside of brief exchanges. Keith wondered if anyone picked up on the tension between them. Had anyone known about their relationship? Then, he remembered that he had announced to people who had asked that the beanie was made by his boyfriend—and you don’t have to be Pidge to calculate who it was.

Keith wasn’t sure how he felt about the idea of what kinds of things people might think about them.

Sometimes, Keith joined in with Lance and Pidge’s friend group, building a friendship. Other times, though, he stayed by himself like he had done before. After all, he was still supposed to give Lance space until he was ready to talk, no matter how much Keith wanted to do it.

At home, he still felt a bit awkward when staying with everyone ever since the wedding. He could tell that Colleen was itching to ask what had happened between him and Lance, but Keith wasn’t willing to talk, and she seemed to recognize that it was a touchy subject. He didn’t know how much the others knew about the situation, though Pidge claimed that she didn’t tell anyone.

One time, Shiro and Matt were there for a visit. Keith was in his room, just lying on his bed staring at the ceiling instead of doing work, when there was a knock on the door.

“Keith? Can we come in?” sounded Shiro’s voice.

Keith sighed. “Yeah, come in.”

The door opened, and Shiro and Matt stepped in. Shiro took a seat on the desk chair, while Matt made himself comfortable on the beanbag chair. Keith sat up and faced them. He was just wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants while the two looked like they were fresh home from work, but Keith didn’t care.

“What’s up?” Keith asked.

“Keith, we know that you probably don’t want to talk … but just know that we’re here for you,” Shiro said. Matt nodded his agreement.

Keith held back another sigh. “Let me guess—you want to know about Lance and me.”

“Well, we couldn’t help but notice that something happened,” Matt said. “You’d been more outgoing, then suddenly, you withdraw again and seem really down. We’re your family. We care about you. So, of course, we’re curious and want to help.”

“And it’s not good to always bottle everything up,” Shiro threw in. “We don’t mean to pressure you into it, but talking once in a while helps.”

“Are you sure you want to know?” Keith asked. “It’s not a nice story, and you’ll probably be disappointed.”

“I’m sure we can handle whatever it is,” Shiro said.

Keith inhaled and exhaled before he started to talk. “I was annoyed with everyone pestering me about my love life all the time. So when Colleen brought it up again ahead of your wedding, I just, I was so fed up that I replied I liked someone. But at that time, I didn’t, or at least, I didn’t realize it. And then, Pidge commented that I better actually have someone, and I felt challenged and had to do _something_. I couldn’t just go out and say that I lied because that would mean I lost. So I had to ask someone out, without revealing that it’s just to pretend.”

“And you thought to ask Lance, of all people?”

Keith nodded. “He was the first person I thought about. Because I guess I had always been interested in him, deep down. I just didn’t know it.”

“But it was all an act, and you were toying with him.”

“I know that’s what it looks like now, but I didn’t—I just, I didn’t _think_. I was stupid, and I don’t know anymore why I did it. Looking back, it’s all so obvious how stupid it was.” Keith held back the urge to pick up his knife from the nightstand like he so often did when he was nervous. Instead, he fidgeted with his fingers. “It felt good, spending time with him. The more I was with him, the happier I felt. But it took me a while to figure out why. By the time we were together—that’s when I finally pieced it together. That I love him. I didn’t want to drop him. I didn’t want anyone to find out. I didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“But he must have found out,” Matt observed.

“Yeah. Pidge confronted me at the celebration, and Lance walked in on it. He ran away without giving me a chance to explain. I’ve been trying to apologize ever since.”

“Things like this don’t fix so easily.”

“I know that. I know—and I’m trying my best. I miss him. I miss his smile. It hurts, being around him but not _with_ him. He said he’ll listen to what I have to say, but I’m still waiting for a chance.”

“Love isn’t always easy,” Shiro said.

“That’s rich, coming from the happily married couple.”

He could tell that Matt was trying not to laugh despite how serious the conversation was.

“What I’m trying to say is, if it’s meant to go right, then it will. It could take time, but eventually, things will start to heal. And remember what I always say—patience yields focus. Patience is the key, in this situation, as well.”

“I guess—I guess you’re right.” Keith forced a small smile. “Thanks for listening and not hating me too much, I guess.”

“That’s what family are for,” Matt reminded. “We’re here to help if you need us. Just like Pidge.”

“Thanks.”

The two men stood. “We’ll leave you in peace now, then. Try not to brood too much.”

“I’ll try,” Keith said wrily.

Keith watched as they left, then laid back again, sighing and closing his eyes. He didn’t know if he felt better now, after talking to them, letting it all out now that some time had passed. Either way, he still didn’t want to take care of work. He couldn’t stop thinking about Lance.

 

~~~~

 

Lance was sitting on his bed, just sketching to relax. He didn’t really pay attention to what he was drawing, but eventually, the page was filled. He frowned down at it. Apparently, he had drawn Keith, over and over, in different angles and sporting different expressions.

He lifted his hand, hovering over the edge of the page as if to rip it off—then his breath hitched, and he flipped to the next instead. He laid back, head hitting the pillow and sketchbook now resting on his chest. He sighed deeply, eyes closed.

If he was honest, Lance didn’t know why he avoided facing Keith. _Really_ facing him. He didn’t know why he couldn’t just sit down with Keith, let him explain himself. His friends had accepted Keith into the circle, Pidge seemed to be closer to her brother than she had been before—so why was Lance like this? There was no reason to be scared, right? And he was usually the easily-trusting type.

He still had feelings for Keith, that was a fact he couldn’t deny. And he could see already from the gift, the flower, and the card that Keith had left for him before the holidays, that there was a chance to patch things up. That there was a chance for a happy ending, that they could start again, for real this time, with both of them on the same page.

Could it be that Lance wanted to test just how much Keith cared? That he _really_ was serious? If that’s what it was—was it selfish? Was he just unnecessarily stubborn, drawing it out more than necessary, making them both hurt? Dragging everyone along with him, making them have to suffer the awkward air between him and Keith? What would be if he hadn’t barged into the conversation? What if he hadn’t run away? If he had listened right away? Would things be different now?

Lance discarded the pencil and lifted his hands, covering his eyes with one of them, gripping at his own hair with the other.

He was frustrated with himself, with everyone, with everything. He was confused and didn’t know what to do. He suffered whenever there was drawn-out drama in movies, shows, books, fanfics—anything, really—, but now, it started to feel like the same thing was happening to his life.

“Why can’t I just talk to him?” he asked into the room, even though he knew there was no one to answer him. “What’s wrong with me?”

He blindly reached for his phone next to his pillow, unlocking the screen and glancing up at it through his fingers. There was nothing, not even from his friends or family or school related. He let out a frustrated sigh and let the device drop next to his face. What did he expect? Keith was respecting that he had needed more space. And yet, some part of him, at least, hoped that Keith would lose patience and start approaching him no matter what, again.

With another frustrated sigh, Lance sat up to put his sketchbook and pencil away safely. Then, he flopped back down on the mattress, burying his face in the pillow. A minute later, he remembered he was still wearing his binder. He sat up again, pulled off his shirt to take it off, and put his shirt back on. Finally, he pulled the blanket over himself for good measure, and his face hit the pillow once more. He didn’t understand himself. He needed a nap.

 

The next time Lance woke up, it was to the sound of his alarm. He blinked his eyes open and groaned. He reached for his phone to turn off the offending sound. He didn’t remember setting the alarm before his nap. This could only mean one thing—and sure enough, a glance at the time revealed that it was the next morning, and the string of notifications told him that he had missed his usual nightly chat with Pidge and other messages.

“Shit.”

Lance couldn’t believe that he had slept all the way through the evening until morning. How could this have happened? He hadn’t been _this_ tired, had he? He had missed dinner and, most importantly, he hadn’t got any work done.

It was a good thing he always set his alarm so far in advance to make sure he had enough time for his beauty routine and picking his outfit for the day, as well as pack his things. He’d have to skip breakfast, at least, but that was a fair compromise to make so he’d not be empty-handed. He needed to run for some coffee from the dorm's kitchen, though. He connected his phone to the charging cable and left his room. There was no time to lose.

In the end, while he was more or less done with everything, he had to rush getting ready. When putting on his binder, he felt a bit dizzy with his last meal having been a long while ago, but he ignored it as he put on his sweater—the same one he had worn back on his date with Keith at the mall. That day felt like so long ago now. A look in the mirror revealed that even with this much sleep, he still looked tired. He sighed and applied a quick job of makeup once he was done with cleansing and moisturizing his face. The final step was brushing his hair, even though he already knew he was going to wear the beanie. He just couldn’t let go of it. But then again, neither did Keith.

Finally, he put on his jacket, grabbed his things, and left. As he stepped outside to walk to the right building of his first class, he was happy about the sunshine, even if there were clouds. The first class was math, shared with Keith. He was both looking forward and dreading that. He loved sitting next to Keith, but there still were all his conflicted, confused feelings that had led to his almost a day’s worth of a nap.

The silence between him and Keith continued, though Lance admitted that he smiled just a little more than before. He couldn’t help it when _Keith_ was smiling at him. It still made him weak in the knees, made him yearn back to all these weeks ago, made him desperately want to lean in and connect their lips … but, no, he couldn’t have that. He had been hurt, and Keith hadn’t explained himself yet.

Because he, himself, remained stubborn and didn’t make room for a chance to sit down alone, a persistent voice in Lance’s head said. He ignored it to focus on class.

When class was over, they walked side by side. The wish to reach out and hold Keith’s hand was almost painful in Lance’s chest. He wondered if Keith felt the same.

Once they reached the exit of the building, Lance stopped in his tracks. During the past period, it had started to pour.

“Fuck,” he cursed softly.

Keith turned to him, umbrella in hand that he had just pulled from his bag. His eyebrows were slightly creased like they often did when he was worried. “What’s wrong?” Keith asked.

“I—I don’t have an umbrella,” Lance replied. “That’s not a problem usually, I don’t mind the rain at all. But I’m carrying this canvas for my next class, and I can’t afford the painting getting wet. It’s an assignment.”

Keith nodded. “Take my umbrella, then.” He held it out to Lance.

Lance swallowed. He was grateful, and yet, like what seemed so long ago when Keith had offered his jacket, he stalled. He asked: “But what about you?”

“Doesn’t matter. Your painting is more important. So go on, take it.” Keith’s tone was insistent. “You already refused my jacket before. I won’t take a no for an answer this time.”

Lance sucked in a breath. Finally, he took the offered umbrella. “Thank you. I’ll—I’ll give it back later. Will you have lunch at the canteen or with us?”

“I was thinking the canteen, I don’t want to end up hanging out for too long. My break is shorter today.”

“Okay. Sure. So I’ll—I’ll see you around?”

Keith smiled. Lance’s heart skipped a beat. “Sure. See you around.”

Lance gave a shaky laugh, then finally walked off to the door. He immediately opened the umbrella as he stepped out, careful to keep it over his other arm carrying the canvas. He couldn’t tell if the dizzy feeling was an effect of Keith’s smile or the lack of nutrition.

 

By the time his art class ended, it had stopped raining. As he had handed in the painting, he didn’t need Keith’s umbrella anymore. He wanted to give it back before meeting with his friends, so he made his way to the dining hall. He shot a quick text, and when Keith replied, it turned out that he had already sat down. Lance sighed and made his way in. Thankfully, he spotted Keith easily.

As he walked through the rows of tables and chairs, the dizziness felt worse. Finally, Lance reached Keith at the far wall. He came to a stop in front of him and smiled weakly. “Thank you again,” he said, holding out the umbrella.

“It’s no problem,” Keith said. He took the umbrella, placing it by his bag underneath the table. He looked up at Lance, studying him with a frown. “Are you okay?” Keith asked.

“Huh? Oh, sure.” Well, he said that, but the truth was that Lance had been spacing out.

Keith seemed to see right through him. “You look like you’re gonna pass out,” he said. Gently, he took Lance’s hand. “You should at least sit down for a moment.”

“I’m fine, really. I’m—ugh.” Lance stumbled forward.

Keith reacted instantly and caught him. He carefully scooted over into the next chair, at the same time guiding Lance to sit in the one he had previously been on. Keith kept holding his hand, rubbing gentle circles onto his skin. Of course, Lance noted with a small smile, he was still wearing his fingerless gloves, like always.

Lance’s first instinct was to enjoy the attention, the gentle care Keith was giving him despite this being his mealtime. Right now, he didn’t care that anyone could see them, could think who knows what people thought about them.

“It’s not your binder, is it?” Keith asked softly. “Have you eaten today?”

Lance slowly shook his head. “Not since lunch yesterday.”

Keith made a face. “God damn it, Lance. I really have to feed you one of these days.”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose!” Lance snapped. “I—I took a nap in the afternoon, but it turns out I fell asleep and didn’t wake up till morning. So I missed dinner, and because I didn’t do any work yesterday, I had to skip breakfast.” He took a breath, then continued to rant to explain himself. “And because I missed dinner, obviously I also didn’t prepare anything to bring for lunch. And besides, I knew that Hunk would bring some of his creations again for us to test.”

“Then eat now,” Keith said, shoving his tray closer to Lance.

“It’s _your_ food. And besides, I’ll get food once I meet the others. I’ll be fine.”

“If you keep running around without eating, you’ll pass out for real,” Keith argued. “Either you eat now, or I _will_ feed you.”

“You can’t keep saying that! You’re not my boyfriend!” The words came out before Lance could think about what he was saying. Immediately, he regretted it.

Next to him, Keith took a harsh breath. “But I would be if you’d let me explain, if you stayed to hear what I was about to explain to Pidge.”

“But I didn’t! I was hurt! And now I’m—I’m—I don’t know!” Lance tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to build in his eyes. In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware that they were making a scene. He hoped that the hall was busy enough for their voices to be drowned out in the crowd.

He could hear Keith take another breath. When Keith spoke again, his voice was low. “Please. Please eat. I don’t—I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Fine.” Lance took a breath of his own. “Fine. I’ll eat your stupid lunch.”

Lance had to look away from the relieved smile making its way onto Keith’s face. Instead, he focused his attention on the burger and fries on Keith’s tray. Like earlier, his mind went back to their date in the mall. He wondered if Keith had noticed that he was wearing the same sweater as he had then.

After he had taken a bite of the burger, Lance mumbled: “We still never had that battle.”

“Huh?”

“You know—in Pokemon. Back when we were at the mall—we said we’d do that someday. In XY so you could see my trainer.”

“Right, I remember—you complained about Calem’s wardrobe.”

“I’m just saying it how it is.”

“Sure, sure.” After a moment of pause, Keith said quietly: “I thought the sweater was familiar. It’s the same as back then. It looks good on you.”

Lance didn’t say anything in favor of taking another bite from the burger. Apparently, that was good enough for Keith. They didn’t say anything as Lance finished eating the burger while Keith had some fries.

When he was done eating, Lance hesitated. “I … I should go. The other’s are probably wondering where I am.”

Keith nodded. “Okay.”

“Sorry for eating half your lunch.”

“It’s fine. I’m the one who pushed it on you, after all.”

Lance wanted to say more, say anything, but he struggled to find the words. He looked at Keith, who looked at him with a soft smile, but his eyes holding a swirl of emotions Lance couldn’t quite define. Part of him wanted to look away, but the other wished to keep holding Keith’s gaze. When Lance spoke again, his voice was low. “I didn’t mean to imply that it’s over for good. I just—”

“You need more time. I know.” Keith’s eyes closed for the briefest second. “I’m trying not to push. I really do. Patience isn’t my strongest point. I’m sorry.”

“You’re doing fine from what I can see.”

“I’m trying.”

Lance’s lips quirked up, just a little. “Anyway, I’ll get going now. I’ll—I’ll see you around.”

“Of course. See you around.”

They held eye contact for another second longer until Lance finally stood and walked away. He admitted that he already felt a little better, at least regarding his body.

Finally, he reached the meeting place of his friends. Today, they were meeting in one of the student lounges because of the rain earlier.

Pidge was the first who spotted him as he walked up to them. She had her phone in one hand and looked relieved. “There you are!” she said once Lance was within reach. “I was just about to call you.”

“Sorry. I got held up,” Lance said as he took a seat. “Still something left for me?”

“Sure,” Hunk replied. “Help yourself.”

Lance nodded and took what looked like a bite-sized sandwich. Better start small. He didn’t feel like talking, so he just listened.

After a moment, Hunk turned to him again. “So you know it’s my birthday soon, right?” Lance nodded. Hunk continued. “I was thinking of inviting Keith if that’s fine for you.”

Lance held back a sigh. “It’s _your_ birthday, Hunk. You don’t have to ask me who you should invite or not.”

“I just thought, because, you know.”

“I’m _fine_. Really.”

The others exchanged looks, but the subject was dropped. Lance went back to silently listening as he tasted his way through the offered snacks. His friends did not try to get him to talk, even though he could tell they didn’t like his distance. But he was fine. Even someone like him needed a break now and then. As they parted ways, he gave everyone a brief half-hug to make up for the silence.

 

Later that night, Lance found it hard to fall asleep, unlike the previous night. He couldn’t stop thinking.

He knew that if he wanted to move forward, if he wanted to try another chance with Keith, he had to act. He couldn’t keep running away. If he waited too long—if he never listened to Keith’s explanation—Keith could lose patience. Keith could move on.

Lance didn’t like that thought.

He pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes, trying to block everything out.

He really needed to act like his usual self again. Hunk’s birthday could be the right opportunity for that. And maybe … maybe he’d finally find the resolve to sit down and listen to Keith. He had to do it, soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your fave is problematic: Robin  
> -says "I won't drag out the angst too much because I don't like drama and dragged out angst"  
> -has to up the chapter count because there had to be a chapter split
> 
> So that being said, the journey isn't over yet. I'm still not sure if I need to tag something like "Eventual Happy Ending" considering I always go fluff in the end. I mean, just look at 99% of my fics and the earlier chapters. If you see it differently though, let me know. I never know what to tag. It took me a million years to add the "mild drama" tag because I was like "...but is it drama _enough_?"
> 
> I don't know how fast I can write the next chapter because I also DO still have some other projects like big bangs that I should focus on, but right now, I have all my happy feelings for this fic back. So we will see how long the flow will last and when my inspiration for other projects returns.


	11. an announcement

So, I know I had only just picked this story up again last October and then left it hanging in the middle of angst. But a lot of things have happened since then, and in the time before that, and I really cannot finish this piece anymore.

I never expected that I would get as much support as I did with this fic, and I want to say thank you to everyone who has ever read along and might still follow for more. And I apologize for leaving you hanging like that.

BUT! While  _this_ story is abandoned, for the past several weeks, I've been working on a rewritten version. It's the same basic setup, but differences in setting. So if you liked this story, or even like my writing in general, you can find the new version on my profile. I'd be so happy to see you return. But if not, that's great too and I hope you have a great day.

As for this version, for now, I am keeping it up on my profile. I might delete it at some point in time, but I haven't made a final decision yet.

Thank you so much again for all the subscriptions, hits, kudos, comments, and bookmarks you've given in the past ~ year and a half. It made me feel like I'm not just shouting into the void while I struggled with the art of multichapter fic, and writer's block, and all kinds of other things. I hope you all have a great time.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on [twitter](http://twitter.com/crystalklances) and [tumblr](http://crystalklances.tumblr.com)!


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